Solstice
by Elizabeth Watson
Summary: The Cullen family has just relocated to cloudy Vancouver, and Nessie, Jacob and the Cullen children are ready to start at another high school. But it's not long before things change more than any of them could have expected. Formerly called Day Break.
1. Chapter 1

**Solstice**

By Midnight Sapphire Eyes and Elizabeth Watson

Note (applying to all chapters): We created our own characters and ideas. The rest belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

Formerly called Day Break. This story also now has a sequel, called Equinox.

* * *

"You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hope, as old as your despair." - Douglas MacArthur

* * *

Chapter One

"I don't like this." My father shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his back rigid.

My mother and I shot him simultaneous glares. "It'll be fine," Mom told him. They seemed to be having this conversation a lot lately.

He sighed and switched lanes to bypass a comparatively slow-moving Saab. "Are you sure you want to do this? You don't have to, you know. You have the rest of eternity to go to high school. We don't have to go this year."

I rolled my eyes. "Dad, will you calm down already? We have already talked about this at least a million times. You seriously have to stop worrying. You are going to somehow manage to give yourself a heart attack."

His brow furrowed even deeper. He took his anxiety out on the gas pedal. "This is a bad idea," he muttered.

"I think Nessie should go if she wants to go," Mom interjected.

"Yeah," Jacob, my oldest and best friend (who also happened to be a werewolf) agreed from beside me. "She can do this." He squeezed my hand with a grin.

I smiled back.

There was a tense silence in the car for a few moments. It was finally interrupted by Jacob. He yawned loudly. "Are we there yet?"

Dad rolled his eyes.

We arrived at Point Grey Secondary School moments later.

"Nessie?" Dad's voice was anxious as he looked at me in the rear-view mirror. "I can take you home now if you want."

I gave him a look. "No thank you," I said tersely, getting out of the car. I sighed and looked around the campus. Dad's Volvo was a definitive stand-out in the parking lot. None of the other cars looked like they'd been made later than the 1990's. The school was large, white and gothic-styled, complete with matching towers. I smirked as I realized that it probably looked like the sort of school that teenaged vampires would go to. Students were already milling about the schoolyard in droves. I swallowed, suddenly gripped with anxiety. Rationally, I knew that I had nothing to fear from the students. I was protected by six vampires and a werewolf, and I had abilities of my own. No, it was not a fear of the students or even the work. It was a fear of the unknown. I had never been so close to so many humans before. It only took only seconds of observation to realize that I had much to learn about the social dynamics of their world.

"Nessie?" Jacob said, waving a hand in front of my eyes.

I blinked and glanced at him. I started as I felt a strange jolt when I looked at him. It felt like someone had jump-started my heart. _What was that about_? I wondered. "Yes, J-Jacob?" I stuttered.

"You okay?"

I was silent for a moment as I tried to piece together what was making my stomach feel like it was restraining a swarm of butterflies. I forced a smile. "I'm great." I looked around again. As I did, I saw Uncle Emmett, Uncle Jasper, Aunt Alice and Aunt Rosalie drive up, Uncle Jasper driving. I tried to squelch my emotions quickly. I didn't need him ratting me out to Dad.

Mom came to stand beside me as Jacob and Dad got out of the Volvo. "Nervous?"

I lied and shook my head.

"Just like your mother," Dad said exasperatedly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mom asked, crossing her arms.

"Well, she seems to have inherited your ability to react in a manner completely opposite to that of a normal being."

"He's got a point, Bella," Jacob said.

I didn't hear her reply. I concentrated on taking deep breaths to calm myself. I refused to cave. I would not let Dad have this one. He would never let me out of the house again if I folded now. It had taken me years to get him to agree to go to school at all. He had insisted that home-schooling would have been far more practical for me. However, after a considerable amount of badgering, pestering, whining, sulking and arguing, I had managed to talk him into it. I would not wimp out now.

I felt a wave of calm creep over me. I realized as then that I had been fidgeting. I mouthed my thanks to Uncle Jasper. He winked at me. "They're really not as scary as they look, you know," he said, nodding to the humans.

"I know," I said. I'd known _some_ humans. Grandpa Charlie, for one, and I'd once met Grandma Renée and my step-grandfather Phil, although according to what we'd told them, I was Dad's niece, which he and Mom had adopted. I knew most of the humans around La Push, as well. But they were all in on "the secret". There was no need to be secretive around them. That wasn't a luxury that I would have here.

According to the cover story that Aunt Alice had created for me, I was a sophomore, and we had just moved to Canada from Virginia. Dad was my brother, apparently, and we were Grandma and Grandpa Cullen's adopted niece and nephew. Our parents had died in a car crash when we were young. Aunt Alice had been absolutely ecstatic when Grandpa Carlisle had asked her to develop our cover stories. He knew how fond she was of manufacturing evidence.

Mom had visited J. Jenks in Uncle Jasper's stead to pick up our IDs and passports since, in my mother's words, Uncle Jasper "creeped the heck out of him". Uncle Jasper had been incredibly disappointed that he had been "fired from his only amusing job". I still wasn't sure whether he meant the IDs, or scaring J. Jenks. Mom, Uncle Emmett and Aunt Alice were also Cullens and Aunt Rosalie and Uncle Jasper were the Hale twins again.

I was incredibly grateful that Jacob had chosen to move with us. I knew how hard it must have been for him to leave his family and his home, but I was selfish enough to want him with me anyway. His story was that he was Grandma and Grandpa's godson. Aunt Rosalie had suggested that he masquerade as the family's mutant-size huge husky dog. He didn't find it nearly as funny as Uncle Emmett did.

Jacob nudged me suddenly. "You're nervous," he stated.

For some reason that not even I could explain, this declaration made me blush. "Am not," I retorted.

"Aw, you're such a bad liar," he said, poking me again.

"Well you're such a bad…something," I finished lamely.

He laughed. "Nice one, Nessie. That really cut me deep."

I stuck my tongue out at him.

"It's almost time for classes to start. I think we should get going," Aunt Alice said.

"We'll see you at lunch," said Mom, touching my shoulder. "You'll be fine."

"I know," I said as Dad gave me a smile. He and Mom left for their first class hand-in-hand, followed by Uncle Jasper, Uncle Emmett and Aunt Rosalie. Aunt Alice began to drag me along. I paused and glanced at Jacob over my shoulder.

"Good luck, kiddo," he said, smiling reassuringly at me. "You've got this."

I gave him my best attempt at a nonchalant thumbs-up.

Aunt Alice sighed and pulled on my arm impatiently. "Come on, Nessie! I want to get a good seat!"

I yielded and let her direct me towards our first class. We arrived in the small room well before class started and took seats near the back. Aunt Alice had explained the day before that the back was ideal for us. We had fewer people staring at us that way.

Every face in the room turned to look at us as we made our way to the far side of the room. I suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious. It was reflected in my second blush of the morning. Why did I have to blush at the drop of a hat?

After we took our seats, I scanned the room out of the corner of my eye. The majority of the class was still gawking at us. I saw several guys smirking at Aunt Alice and me as they whispered to each other.

I saw Aunt Alice grimace suddenly. I glanced at her with a mild frown. "What is it?"

She winced again. "Edward."

"He was listening?"

She nodded sheepishly. "He didn't like the way those boys were thinking about you."

It was my turn to grimace. "What has he decided to do?"

"Do you mean before or after he kills them?"

The look on my face must have betrayed the shock and fear that washed over me.

"I was being sarcastic, Nessie. He's not going to kill them. He's just going to make a point of remembering their faces for the next few decades or so."

I exhaled.

"You're a little tense this morning," she noted as she studied my face.

"I'm fine."

She rolled her eyes. Everyone seemed to be doing that today. "Why must you be so Bella-like? What's going on? I saw–"

"What?" I asked quickly.

She looked at me strangely. "All right, Nessie, seriously. What's going on?"

I paused. "It's…school jitters. It's nothing, it's nothing." I hoped that it really was nothing.

"Ha!" she crowed a little more loudly than was appropriate. I went red again as several people turned around to look at us. "I knew it! I _knew _it!"

"Shhh!" I said earnestly.

She bit her lip and then smiled. "Sorry. I just like being right."

I half-smiled at her. "I know you do."

"So," she said, folding her hands and laying her chin on top of them. "What is it really?"

I blinked and internally cursed her intuition. "Uh…w-what're you t-talking about?" I stuttered again, flustered. It surprised me how bad I was at lying today. I was usually much better at it than this. In a family like mine, skills in the art of deception were crucial.

I sighed and said nothing for several moments as I tried to weigh whether or not what had happened this earlier was too weird to tell her about. "Okay, so, earlier…I sort of…might have…felt something…something I've been starting to feel for a while now but I probably shouldn't, especially not for Jacob."

Aunt Alice hesitated for a moment. She looked away quickly. "Really?" she asked in a strangely strained tone.

I looked at her. "What's with the shockingly-calm reaction?"

"Well," she said, recovering at last. "This is sooner than expected is all."

My jaw almost fell off of my face. "You've been expecting this? How the _heck _would you predict something like that? You can't see us."

"Well, I didn't see anything, but I knew it was coming eventually. We all have. Especially after Jacob –" she stopped. "It's not a bad thing, Ness," she said, reading my mind.

I frowned. "Especially after Jacob what?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

I crossed my arms. "Alice."

She shook her head. "It's not mine to tell."

I knew by the look on her face that she wasn't going to budge. I reluctantly let it pass with every intention of bringing it up later. I'd wear her down. Slowly. "Aunt Rose won't like this. She hates Jacob."

"Rosalie will be happy as long as you're happy."

I gave her a look.

"Okay, _eventually_ she'll be happy with it."

My expression remained doubtful.

"Probably."

Our conversation was interrupted as the class was called to order. Our teacher introduced himself as Sean Wickham. He was a short, balding man in his mid-thirties with a distinctively pointy nose and ill-suiting glasses. He wore a half-tucked blue cotton shirt and baggy tan-coloured pants. Aunt Alice shuddered visibly as she took in his decidedly unfashionable appearance.

"He should start with his hair…" she began. She spent the rest of the period muttering about giving him a makeover. She was so enveloped in her muttering that she was completely oblivious to the creepy, lengthy stare he gave her at the beginning of the period. It raised the hairs on my arms just to see it. It was interrupted when one of the girls in the first row cleared her throat loudly. It was my turn to shudder. If this is how he reacted to Aunt Alice's super-human beauty, I could only imagine how he'd react to Aunt Rose. I smirked as I imagined what Uncle Jasper would do to him if he'd caught him ogling her like this.

Aunt Alice rushed us off to science next. Apparently Dad – or Edward, as I'd have to get used to calling him – had managed to convince the female guidance counsellor to put us in all of the same classes. Dad had a way of doing that to human women. Mom called it being "dazzled".

"R-Ren-Ruh-nee-es-mee? Is there a Ruh-nee-es-mee Cullen here?" the teacher asked as she took attendance.

"Renesmee," I corrected. "Here."

"Interesting name," she commented, looking me over.

I shrugged and dug out the binder full of paper Aunt Rose had gotten ready for me the night before and the pen that Dad had given me for my third birthday. It was black with the letters "RC" engraved into the side in Dad's fluid lettering. As hard as I tried to concentrate, I couldn't stop thinking about Jacob and the incident in the car this morning. I caught Aunt Alice looking at me several times.

Lunch finally arrived. Aunt Alice guided me to a table that our family had claimed near the western wall. Jacob had a massive collection of food in front of him. Everyone else had their usual trays of prop-food. I took seat between Jacob and my father as Aunt Alice took a seat across from me.

"I saved some cake for you," Jacob told me with his trademark grin. It was difficult not to notice the chewed food in his wide-open mouth.

"Disgusting," I heard Aunt Rose mutter disdainfully from across the table. Jacob made a face at her.

I looked at the plate of food that he'd slid in front of me. It was a large slice of chocolate cake on a paper plate.

"How were your classes, Nessie?" Dad asked, his arm around Mom.

"Fine," I said as I picked up a fork and began to toy with the cake.

"Did you like it?" Mom asked.

"Yeah, it was okay. It was easier than I expected."

"I knew you could do it," Mom smiled.

I returned her smile and tried to think of something to further the conversation. "I have a really creepy English teacher, though," I remembered after a beat of silence.

"Really?" Mom said. "How so?"

"I think he kind of has a thing for Alice," I said.

Uncle Jasper sat up straighter. "What's his name?"

"Jazz," Aunt Alice said, shaking her head.

"So you had English and science this morning?" Aunt Rose asked. "Did we do enough review?" Aunt Rose had been coaching me for the past few weeks in my studies so I would be up to the sophomore level. Not much preparation had been needed since I'd known most of it since I was a child, but of course we had to maintain our "human" appearance.

"Yeah, they're just starting ecosystems."

She nodded. "Good."

Dad shook his head with a sigh. "I cannot quite believe the education system these days."

"You realize that it makes you sound old when you say that, don't you?" Mom teased him.

"I _am_ old," he pointed out.

Jacob had been silent until this point, as he'd been too busy eating. He glanced at my mother's tray. "You going to eat that, Bella?"

"Of course she's not going to eat it," Aunt Rose snapped.

Mom looked at her and then at Jacob. "You're really finished already?" Sure enough, his mountain of spoils was now just an array of food wrappers, crushed soda cans and dirty paper plates. "Do you _ever_ stop eating?" she asked incredulously.

He grinned again.

Aunt Alice chuckled suddenly. Everyone glanced in her direction. "Edward, those blondes at the third table to your left are going to come and ask for your number in forty-seven seconds."

Sure enough, three blonde girls made their way over, giggling incessantly. They stopped in front of my father. "Hi there. What's your name?" asked the tallest of the three.

He glanced at them with a friendly smile. "Edward."

They glanced at each other and burst into giggles all over again. Mom growled very softly.

I nearly gagged. Having my father hit on right in front of me was definitely an experience that I would have gladly foregone.

"Are you new here, Edward?" asked the second.

"Yes, I am."

"Well, could we have your number?" asked the tall one. "Maybe we could show you around some time?"

I shuddered and glanced at Jacob. He exchanged a disgusted glance with me. I caught Uncle Emmett laughing silently. Aunt Rose and Aunt Alice were smirking, and Uncle Jasper was looking at them with a raised eyebrow.

Dad chuckled. "Sorry, ladies, I'm taken," he said, gesturing to Mom.

Their faces fell. "Oh," the third said. She glanced at the rest of us before the three left the table. They were barely out of earshot when Uncle Emmett roared with laughter. Uncle Jasper and Jacob joined him, attracting the gazes of several other tables.

Everyone at the table froze suddenly.

I frowned, confused, waiting for someone to speak.

"Do you smell that?" Dad murmured.

"Impossible," Aunt Rose breathed, scanning the room.

I looked around as well. "What? What is it?"

"Can you smell that?" Dad asked.

I inhaled deeply. Sure enough, there was a familiar scent in the air – but it wasn't a human one. I gasped quietly. "_Vampires_?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"How is it possible that we did not know?" asked Uncle Jasper softly.

"I have no idea," Aunt Alice said with a frown. "I don't understand why I didn't see this."

Jacob smelled the air. "Wait…smell that again…"

We all inhaled again, but it was evident that Aunt Rose resented being told what to do by a werewolf. Mom frowned. "You're right, Jacob, it's not just a vampiric smell. There's something different about it."

I frowned as I tried to place what it was that made the scent different from the normal vampire one. It was difficult to even catch the scent through the overwhelming cloud of other smells in the cafeteria.

"You know, it almost reminds me of…Nessie," Aunt Rose commented.

I blinked. _Me_?

"That's not possible," Dad said quickly, glancing at me. We were already speaking so quickly that no human would have understood. "Nessie, Nahuel and his sisters are the only half-breeds."

"That we know of," Jacob corrected. "We didn't know about Nahuel up until six years ago, either. Isn't it possible that there are more out there?"

"We should talk to Carlisle," Uncle Jasper suggested.

"Yes," Dad agreed. "As soon as possible."

"Let's talk about this outside," Uncle Emmet proposed, unusually serious. "We're attracting too much attention."

We were on our feet in an instant. Jacob looked remorsefully at his half-finished candy bar that he'd swiped from Uncle Jasper. He sighed and added it to the pile of garbage which he deposited in the black garbage can set up at the side of the room.

We made our way out of the cafeteria and to the back of the school. I looked around as we walked through the cafeteria. A group near the back caught my eye. There were four of them, and all four were an unnatural shade of beautiful.

"Ah," Dad said, reading my mind as we neared the door. "Yes, you've found them, Nessie."

When I glanced back at them, they were staring at us. The unnaturally handsome males had eyes the colour of topaz. One had brown hair, the other had jet-black, and both looked slightly too old to be trying to masquerade as high school studends. The female sitting adjacent the brown-haired vampire had remarkably piercing, icy-blue eyes. She was small in comparison, with long dark hair curtaining a lovely pale face. The female sitting beside the black-haired male was also impossibly beautiful, with eyes of rich emerald-green and wavy auburn hair. All four were dressed in impeccable designer outfits. I didn't need to hear Aunt Alice's thoughts to know how she pleased she was with their sense of fashion. They watched us with calculating expressions. I noticed that there was a compelling similarity between the females. I wondered if they were somehow related.

_So the females are the half-breeds_, I thought.

"Well, if they have half-breeds with them, that would explain why I didn't see them," Aunt Alice said quietly.

The lighter-haired man murmured something to his companions too softly for me to hear, and then all four rose, the males picking up the females' books. The light-haired male looked at us for a split second, and then did a double-take.

Both he and Uncle Jasper gasped as they looked at each other.

An inexplicable rage comingled with intense hatred and disbelief conflagrated in the man's eyes. The books fell from his arms as he took a step towards us, slipping into a half-crouch.

Uncle Emmett, Dad and Jacob all jumped up and began to move towards him in unison, their positions defensive, although they all looked profoundly confused.

The tall male grabbed him instantly, his astonished expression mirroring the way mine probably was about then. He quickly towed the light-haired male away. The females bent to pick up the books with equally jolted looks. I noticed now that the auburn-haired girl was much taller than the dark-haired one. All four disappeared from the cafeteria.

After I managed to stop gaping, I looked around quickly. Half of the cafeteria was staring after them while the other half stared at us with curious and surprised expressions.

Dad was openly gawking. His mouth opened and closed several times before he managed to say, "You must be mistaken," he said, although I didn't know to whom, as he was still looking at the others.

Uncle Jasper shook his head, answering my question. "I wish," he murmured, his eyes wide.

Aunt Alice touched his arm. "Jazz? What's going on?"

Uncle Jasper looked at her, and then back at the other family. He bit his lip and replied beneath his breath. "Emmett's right, we can't talk about this here."

Dad nodded. "Let's discuss this outside."

My mind raced as we left the school and made our way to the field. The light drizzle was keeping people indoors, luckily for us. I couldn't understand what have provoked such a violent reaction from the light-haired vampire. Uncle Jasper was second only to Grandpa Carlisle in being the least likely person I knew to inspire hatred.

Once we were outside, Uncle Emmett grabbed Uncle Jasper's arm and spun him around. "Talk."

Uncle Jasper sighed. "The shorter male…his name is Robin Stanton, but he goes by Rob. I know him; I turned him into a vampire one hundred and fifty years ago."

I gasped.

"Come again?" Uncle Emmett gaped.

"Why?" Aunt Rose asked at the same time.

"Do you know who he was with?" Dad said urgently.

"I created him to join Maria's army," he replied with a mild grimace. He looked at Dad. "I have no idea who the others were. I thought I recognized him before, but I couldn't be sure. I remember him in particular. He was a very talented fighter. He actually managed to survive several decades, which was virtually unheard of. Then, he simply vanished one day. He was more resistant to my gift than any other being I've ever encountered in the entirety of my existence, mortal or immortal. He hated me dreadfully."

"But _why_?" asked Aunt Rose.

Uncle Jasper lowered his eyes. "There was a…complication with his transformation."

"What sort of complication?" asked Uncle Emmett.

Uncle Jasper cleared his throat. "It's almost time for class, I think." He walked back towards the school quickly, his shoulders hunched.

Aunt Alice hurried after him wordlessly.

I thought about Rob's reaction to him as I watched them walk away. Well that explained a lot. But that also made things more complicated – and more dangerous. "Now they have a personal reason to dislike us," I said with a sigh.

Dad nodded, his face tight with worry.

Uncle Emmett grimaced. "Yeah."

"And if they have a personal reason to dislike us, things may get…dicey," Aunt Alice added.

"According to Jasper's memories, Robin Stanton has quite a temper," Dad said.

I swallowed. I tried not to think about the ramifications of a war of covens. Grandpa Carlisle had told me about a few that he had seen. They never ended well. The Volturi often became involved, and we definitely did need _them_ interfering with our lives again.

"What were they thinking?" Aunt Rose asked Dad.

"I don't know about the females," he told us. "But the males are wondering who we are. They didn't know that we were here."

"Gees, I can't imagine what that feels like," Mom said sarcastically.

"They're worried that a coven of our size might be a potential threat."

"Did you notice that they were vegetarians?" Uncle Emmett said.

"Yes," Dad said. "Most intriguing. I hadn't known that there were any others aside from us and the Denali."

"Great," Jacob sighed. "More vamps."

Lunch ended ten minutes later. I found Aunt Alice in the hallway. She escorted me to the sizeable gymnasium on the other side of the school. We were handed gym uniforms in the school's colours by the male gym teacher who introduced himself Mr. Wilkes. He was a middle-aged man with wispy grey hair in a comb over, and a large stomach. He wore a white track uniform and carried a whistle. Aunt Alice sighed despondently as she examined the garments he'd given us. "It's like these people have never heard of Prada." Even I had to admit, it was hideous. They were the worst possible shades of blue and grey to ever be combined.

I was starting to get used to everyone staring at us as we joined the group congregating in the centre of gym. I surveyed the crowd of my classmates absent-mindedly, waiting for the class to begin. I gasped as I recognized the females from lunch standing against the back of the gym, muttering to each other in voices to low for even me to hear.

"Alice," I whispered.

She glanced at me. "What is it, Nessie?"

"It's the half-breeds," I said, gesturing towards the females. They shot us the occasional glance, their beautiful eyes unreadable. Both stood perfectly straight, exuding tension. Apparently our presence had been duly noted.

"All right, we'll be starting with volleyball. Let's see…uh, Tara, Emily–" The half-breeds looked up at the sound of Mr. Wilkes's voice. "Why don't you pair up with uh…I'm sorry, I don't know your names," he said.

Aunt Alice and I looked in his direction. He was staring at us.

"Alice and Nessie," Aunt Alice told him.

"Right," he said. "Well uh, you four take the far left court."

Aunt Alice and I made our way to the designated court. We took our positions on one side of the net.

"Hello," Aunt Alice said politely.

The females exchanged glances, and then nodded to us in unison.

I looked at them in fascination. The shorter one that Mr. Wilkes had referred to as Emily was clearly the elder of the two. I could see that she looked about twenty, despite the layer of make up that she wore to appear younger. The taller one he had called Tara looked to be about the same age as my parents, but was still young enough to pretend to be a sophomore. I wondered how old they really were.

"I'm Alice," Aunt Alice said pleasantly. "This is my sister, Nessie."

I smiled awkwardly, a blush colouring my face.

Tara looked at Emily. The latter smiled thinly. "Hello," she said in a light English accent as she served the ball perfectly. It sailed over the net to Aunt Alice, who bumped it back with equal dexterity.

"Have you been here long?" asked Aunt Alice.

"Not too long," Emily replied, volleying the ball to me. "We haven't seen you here before," she said.

I didn't miss the wariness behind her words. Tara glanced at her.

"We've only just arrived," Aunt Alice said brightly.

Emily nodded. "From?"

"Forks, Washington," Aunt Alice said as she leapt into the air to perform a perfect spike.

I was surprised when it struck the ground on their side. Both had frozen in place, their jewel-like eyes wide with shock.

I looked at Aunt Alice in confusion. What could possibly be so shocking about Forks? It was the most un-shocking place imaginable.

"You're that family," Emily said after a moment, glancing around to make sure no one was listening. "The Cullens. You're allied with werewolves. You survived the Volturi. There was word that you'd created an immortal child. You know Nahuel, son of Joham."

I blinked. _Immortal _child? What on earth were they talking about? And how would they know about Nahuel, much less Joham?

"Yes and no," Aunt Alice replied calmly. "Yes, we are indeed allied with two packs of werewolves and yes, we did survive the Volturi, and yes, we are acquainted with Nahuel but no, we did not create an immortal child. The one that the Volturi mistook for an immortal child is Nessie. She's–"

"A half-breed," Emily said, as though she had suddenly come upon a horrible enlightenment. Her eyes tightened. She looked at Tara, her jaw going taut.

I was surprised to see Tara look at me with a strange sadness, as though she pitied me. No one had ever looked at me like that before, ever.

Emily's striking blue eyes hardened suddenly. "Excuse me," she said, passing the ball to Tara and storming away.

My jaw fell open.

Tara looked at her for a moment, and then apologized quietly before rolling the ball beneath the net to us and hurrying to catch up with Emily.

I stared after them, stunned. What had that been about? Were they offended by what I was? That seemed foolish, given that they were the same race as I was, but I couldn't come up with any other explanation as to what else I had done to offend them.

"That was interesting," Aunt Alice murmured.

I glanced at her, still floored by their reaction. "No kidding."

* * *

For the following days, the entire coven ignored us, despite our – well, _my_ – ogling. I couldn't help myself. I'd only ever met one other half-breed in my life, and I had only been a few months old at the time. Additionally, I was still interminably curious about the others and their strange response to meeting us.

Naturally, Dad and Jacob became over-protective and insisted on escorting me to each class to "be on the safe side of things", as Dad had said. But I'd had to insist that Dad stop accompanying me everywhere after I'd overheard two girls in my first-period English class talking about the "gorgeous piece of man-candy" with whom I was double-timing Jacob, "the smouldering-hot muscle machine". After Dad had stopped laughing, he'd reluctantly agreed to allow Jacob to take over guard-duty.

"That's it," Uncle Emmett said one afternoon the following week. He slammed his prop-soda can down on the table top with unnecessary force. "I can't handle this weirdness. I'm going to talk to them."

"No," Dad and Aunt Rose said in unison, pulling him back down to his seat. "We don't know what their intentions are. Remember what Carlisle said, we cannot be the first to provoke action," Dad said.

"Who says I'd provoke action?" he asked innocently.

Everyone snorted.

Aunt Alice sighed. "I'll go. Bella, you're coming."

Mom blinked. "Me? What'd I do?"

Aunt Alice rolled her eyes and yanked Mom to her feet.

"Why does she get to go?" Uncle Emmett asked.

"Because she's not as annoying," Jacob said.

Uncle Emmett laughed. "Good one, mongrel."

"I agree, Alice is definitely the more annoying of the two of you," Dad said.

"I heard that," Aunt Alice called over her shoulder.

Dad grinned.

Their teasing did nothing to ease my sudden anxiety. I bit my lip. "Is this really a good idea?"

"They couldn't attack us here, not even if they wanted to. There are far too many human witnesses," Aunt Rose told me.

"Plus, if they were going to jump us, they probably would've tried it by now," Jacob said, taking a massive, werewolf-sized bite out of his apple, a drop of apple juice rolling down his chin. He gave me a smile that sent another strange wave over me, only it was stronger this time.

I inhaled sharply with surprise and looked away. What was _wrong_ with me? It had been days since I'd felt this weird around Jacob. _It's just a school thing_, I told myself. _You're just adjusting and you're having weird side-effects. It's nothing. Everything is under control. Everything is entirely normal. There's no need to be making anything of this._

Dad choked suddenly.

I flinched and tried not to look at him. I didn't even want to know what he was thinking about what I was thinking.

"Augh," Aunt Rose said, throwing a wad of napkins at Jacob's face.

"Would it really be so difficult for you two to at least _pretend_ to act like adults?" Dad asked coolly, snatching the apple core that Jacob had aimed at her head in reply out of the air.

"But I'm not an adult," Jacob smiled patronizingly. "I'm forever sweet sixteen, remember?"

"Yeah!" Uncle Emmett said. "What the mutt said! Besides, it's funny when Rose kicks his little furry butt."

Aunt Rose chuckled.

I closed my eyes. Why was it that lunch with my family always ended up as a brawl between my aunt (or my uncle) and my…friend? _Because he is _just_ a friend_, I reminded myself. _Right?_

"That's a very good question," Dad muttered, although I wasn't sure which question he was responding to. That didn't help my blush reflex any.

I looked over my shoulder again to watch Mom, Aunt Alice and the over coven. Emily was the only one facing me. Her face was carefully arranged into a look of passivity, but her eyes were narrowed slightly with a look that seemed to me to be suspicion. She continually glanced at the brown haired male. I couldn't see his face, but his back was rigid as Aunt Alice spoke, Mom half-hiding behind her.

"Man," Jacob said. "If this does turn into a fight, I'd love to get a crack at the tall one," he said, gesturing to the huge black-haired vampire, who had his arm wrapped around the tall auburn-haired female in a protective gesture.

A ripple of fear passed through me. I didn't doubt his ability, but the idea of my Jacob fighting a vampire, especially one that big was more than slightly unsettling.

"Yeah," Uncle Emmett agreed. "It'd be nice to have a challenge, for a change."

I rolled my eyes. _Here we go_, I thought.

As was expected, Jacob gave a snort and replied, "I could whip you with my eyes shut and not even raise a sweat."

"Yeah?" Uncle Emmett laughed.

"Yep," Jacob replied, draining his third soda can.

"So why don't you?"

"All right," Dad interjected. "Clearly this vein of conversation isn't going anywhere good."

Uncle Emmett smiled menacingly. "Excellent."

Aunt Alice and Mom returned presently, mercifully ending the conversation. The atmosphere around the table sobered instantly. Even Uncle Emmett became serious.

"What happened?" Aunt Rose asked.

"Well, they don't appear to bear us any ill-will," Aunt Alice said. "I've invited them all to come by our house tomorrow so we can get to know them."

Dad was still nodding after she'd finished speaking. "Yes, that's a good thought."

Jacob sighed theatrically.

"Alice was thinking that it would be best if we got to know them. Just because they seem peaceful for now does not necessarily mean that it will always be so," Dad explained. "Learning about them can only play to our advantage."

I shuddered again and glanced at the tall male vampire. As I did so, he and the brown-haired one turned to look at us. I turned back quickly, a blush starting in my face.

"Who are they?" asked Uncle Jasper, speaking for the first time.

Aunt Alice replied. "The tall female is Tara Winter. The tall black-haired one is Ian, Tara's mate. The dark-haired female is Emily Winter. She's Tara's older sister and Rob's mate."

Dad frowned. "I still can't hear the females," he murmured.

"A shield?" Mom asked.

"I suppose so," he replied.

The majority of the cafeteria's occupants turned to stare as the coven rose to leave, Rob and Ian again picking up their mates' books. All four managed to ignore the scores of eyes trailed on them.

"Come on," Aunt Alice said. "We've got gym."

I picked up my bag and rose to follow Aunt Alice.

"See you after school," Jacob said, smiling at me.

I stumbled slightly. "R-Right. Bye."

He chuckled. "Mind your step."

"Will do," I muttered with a blush.

When we arrived at gym, the half-breeds were absent. We were paired up with two girls named Selene and Michaela.

"So we saw you talking to the Winters yesterday," said Selene.

I frowned and glanced at Aunt Alice.

"Yes," she smiled.

"Well, just as a heads-up, they don't make friends," Selene said.

Michaela shook her head and served the ball. "Not with anyone."

I snorted quietly. That much I'd been able to guess.

"They're usually pretty nice, just don't try to get too close," Selene cautioned us. "You'll get frostbitten."

I smiled at her careless choice of words.

"Consider it duly noted," Aunt Alice smiled pleasantly.

"Let's go, ladies, let's go!" Mr. Wilkes called.

Selene muttered something dark and then sighed. "Well, at least you guys are normal."

I almost laughed aloud.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

On the following day, Aunt Alice sought the Winters out and arranged for them to come by our house the day after. I spent the rest of the day virtually in silence. There was so much to think about: what was happening with Jacob, this discovery of more half-breeds, their strange reactions to us...I wasn't sure where to begin.

After school, we all met at the cars. Dad, Mom, Jacob and I drove the half hour drive back to our home which was situated on the very fringes of West Vancouver. We'd chosen a school in the Kerrisford district in the hopes that people would be less likely to come looking for us if we missed sunny days. Dad drove even faster than his usual ninety miles an hour. I sensed that he was eager to get home and speak to Grandpa Carlisle about what had happened today.

As soon as we arrived, Dad parked the Volvo in the new garage that Uncle Emmett, Dad, Uncle Jasper and Grandpa Carlisle had built when we'd moved here four years ago. We'd even managed to beat the Lamborghini home. He and my mother raced inside as soon as Dad had his keys out of the ignition, leaving Jacob and me very much alone.

We made our way up the wide, well-lit steps of the house. It was a colossal four-storey mostly-glass structure. The main level of the house was almost entirely walled by windows. On the second floor were Aunt Rosalie and Uncle Emmett's room (Dad had flatly refused to have them so near to his own room ever again), Grandma Carlisle and Grandma Esme's room, and on the third floor were Uncle Jasper and Aunt Alice's room as well as Dad and Mom's. My room was the only one on the fourth floor. The only other thing on the first floor was Grandpa Carlisle's library, but I'd been more than willing to share since I absolutely loved reading. A gift from my father, my mom had told me. Jacob's room was in the basement, by my father's request. Even then, he'd had a lock installed on my door. Mom, Jacob and I had tried to convince him that it was unnecessary, but Dad was dead set on having Jacob as far away from where I slept as possible.

"You hungry?" asked Jacob. Ever since I'd been born and Jacob had come to live with us, the family had made sure the fridge was always well-stocked, particularly around the end of each month. Jacob's pack came to visit him during the last week of every month. Sometimes they'd stay for a few hours, and sometimes they'd stay for a few days. Either way, they were always ravenous after running all the way to Vancouver from La Push, and Seth in particular had developed a taste for my dad's cooking. As much as Leah would have hated to admit it, I think she was too. She was always most resistant to our hospitality.

"How can you possibly be hungry after all you ate at lunch?"

"My dad used to tell me I have hollow legs."

"I'm not so sure about the legs," Aunt Rose commented as she joined us. "But I know the head definitely is."

I'd barely noticed her and Uncle Emmett arrive. "Aunt Rose…" I began.

"It's okay, Nessie," Jacob reassured me. "Don't distract Blondie. She has to go fix her makeup."

I shook my head and continued inside as they bantered behind me. They would never get along. Of that I was absolutely certain.

"Nessie, there you are," said Grandpa Carlisle as I made my way into his study tucked in the back left-hand corner of the house. Mom and Dad were already sitting in chairs across from his large desk which was as meticulously clean as ever. The wall by the door was the only one that wasn't a window. The entire wall was a series of shelves ranging from the floor to the ceiling. They were covered in books and various artefacts that my grandfather had collected over the centuries. Dad's brow was furrowed in his familiar worried frown, and Mom appeared no less distressed.

"What does it mean?" asked Dad suddenly, leaping to his feet to pace behind Mom's chair. "We just arrive here in Vancouver, and we find out that there's another clan here, especially a clan with half-breeds and a vampire from Jasper's past?"

"I don't know, son," Grandpa Carlisle admitted, sitting back in his chair. He studied the three of us closely. "But you say that Alice invited them to come to our home tomorrow?"

Dad nodded.

"Well, that would be the best time to find out."

Dad sighed and paused, leaning on the back of Mom's chair. "Do you think we're safe here?"

"Yes," Grandpa Carlisle said firmly. "I'm sure of it."

"How?" he asked, pacing again.

"Because if we didn't know about them, then it's unlikely that many others do. The Volturi may not even know yet."

"And?"

"The Volturi are really our only foreseeable threat. A coven of two vampires and two half-breeds won't do much damage against a coven of eight vampires, a half-breed and a werewolf."

"Nessie will not be fighting," Dad said firmly.

_And neither with Jacob if I have anything to say about it_, I added mentally. Dad flashed a quick glance in my direction, but he clearly wasn't worried about my thoughts just now.

"Of course," Grandpa Carlisle continued, as passive as ever. "But I don't believe that's a concern. I don't think there's a fight to be had, Edward."

"Let's hope it stays that way." Dad sank into his chair again. My mother reached out and touched his arm. He sat in utter silence for a few moments. "I hope you're right, Carlisle."

"So do I, Edward. So do I."

When I wandered back to the kitchen, Jacob had occupied one of the stools at the breakfast bar. He had a half-consumed box of pizza laid out in front of him. Aunt Rose was making dinner for me on the other side of the enormous kitchen, keeping her back to him. She glanced over when she heard me enter and smiled. She was never very talkative when Jacob was around. I hated to think of how she'd react when she found out about my weird feelings for him. Dad undoubtedly already knew, but he had enough on his mind.

I sighed and sat down next to Jacob. He hadn't even noticed I was there until I appeared beside him. He jumped slightly. "Oh. Didn't see you."

"My bad," I said quickly as heat bloomed in my cheeks.

"You hungry yet?" he asked, gesturing to what remained of his afternoon snack. He still had dinner, his evening and midnight snacks to go.

"No thanks."

"You sure? This stuff is amazing."

I smiled. "I'm sure."

"Nessie prefers to eat real food, mutt," Aunt Rose said from in front of the stove.

"Oh, is that what you call it?" he said mockingly, gesturing to the gourmet dish that Aunt Rose was making.

Aunt Rose glared at him briefly then turned back to her cooking. She was adding spices and oils to whatever she was cooking at a dizzying pace. As the scent drifted over to me, I suddenly realized just how hungry I was.

He smirked behind her back and returned to devouring his pizza with enthusiasm. I tried to ignore Aunt Rose's muttered comments, but I caught the words "barbaric" and "loathsome, mutt-brained canine" several times.

Strangely, it felt awkward to be sitting in silence. Jacob and I had never been awkward around each other. Not ever. I was beginning to seriously resent the complications that these feelings were creating.

Mom and Dad joined us in the kitchen several minutes later. Mom took a seat beside me while Dad went to stand in front of the window. I could tell he was still worried, despite what Grandpa Carlisle had said.

"Edward," Mom said softly. "Please. Relax."

Dad turned and began to walk towards us, then froze in mid-step. His expression changed suddenly. "Bella, Rose, come with me," His voice hardened suddenly as he ran out of the room at superhuman speed. My mother and aunt followed behind him, leaving Jacob and I alone yet again.

"What was that?" Jacob asked, his mouth full of food. Unnaturally good eyesight had its disadvantages at times.

"I have no idea," I said as I started to rise. "But I want to find out."

Jacob grabbed my wrist quickly. His fingers were warm and soft against my skin. "If Edward wanted you there, he would've called you too."

I gave him a look. "We both know there is no way that you're going to be able to keep me here."

He sighed. "You're so much like Bella."

"You make it sound like a bad thing," I said with a smirk as I tore out of the room. I followed their scent out to the back of the house and across the large field in the front yard. I frowned slightly as the trail led into the woods. What would they be doing in the woods? I doubled my pace, Jacob following easily.

The trail led through the woods for a time. In front of me, I saw a clearing in the brush. As I burst into the meadow, I suddenly saw why my father had been so eager.

In the centre of the clearing, my family stood facing two unfamiliar vampires dressed in the unmistakable ash-coloured cloaks of the Volturi. My family stood in a wide arc in front of them, clearly blocking their path. Each of their faces hid their anxiety well, but their stances were rigid.

"Nessie," Dad snapped. "I told you stay at the house."

"No you didn't," I shot back.

He walked over to me, eyes blazing. He grabbed my arm and towed me a little ways. "Go back to the house. _Now_." His tone was low and urgent.

"No!" I said, ripping my arm free of his grasp. "I want to know what's going on!"

"Jacob!"

"Hey, don't look at me," Jacob said. "I don't want her mad at me any more than you do."

Dad turned his furious eyes on Jacob. "If you want what's best for her, you will take her back to the house."

He hesitated. Dad had him, and we all knew it. There was no way Jacob could resist if my wellbeing was at stake. He sighed. "Ness…"

"No, Jacob," I said forcefully, irritated that he would fold so easily. Couldn't he see that Dad was just guilt-tripping him?

Mom ran over to us. "Renesmee Carlie Cullen, you will go back to the house with Jacob _now_!" Mom snarled in the same low tone as my dad's. "Jacob, take her with you and get out of here."

I'd always noticed that Jacob had a hard time resisting my mom, though I'd never been entirely able to understand why. He wrapped an arm around me firmly and began to tow me back towards the house. I glanced over my shoulder to glare at them all. The unfamiliar vampires studied me with interest before exchanging glances.

"Wait!" Grandpa Carlisle said, jogging over to us. "Jacob, stop." He looked at my parents, who were staring at him with shock. "She has a right to know. She's not a child anymore."

"She has a _right_ to be safe!" Dad said angrily.

"Edward, she'll find out eventually anyway."

Dad looked at me for a long moment, his eyes softening. He sighed and stepped closer to Grandpa Carlisle. "If this goes badly…I don't want her here for that," he said quietly.

"Alice?" Carlisle called over his shoulder.

"I can't see anything," she said, her words coming out as a snarl as she concentrated.

"Jacob, if anything happens, you're to take Nessie back immediately," Grandpa Carlisle instructed him.

Jacob merely nodded, his expression determined.

Grandpa Carlisle looked back at Dad, who was watching me with an undecided expression. After a moment, his eyes left me to meet Jacob's. He nodded slightly.

I pulled away from Jacob's grasp and walked back towards them quickly. "What's going on?"

Dad kept himself between me and the visitors as I joined the group. "They're from the Volturi," he said quietly. "They want to know if we have any information regarding other half-breeds."

"Indeed," said one. He was powerfully-built, his muscle tone almost exceeding Uncle Emmett's. His voice was rich and smooth, his eyes a glowing red. By the vibrant look to them, he'd fed recently. "You wouldn't know anything about it, would you, young one? We are looking for two; they're of your race."

I glanced at my parents. My father shook his head infinitesimally. My mother was staring at me with wide eyes. I swallowed and looked back at the two. "No," I said, my voice stronger and clearer than I'd expected.

"Pity," said the slighter one disbelievingly. "Well, Fabian, I suppose we ought to be leaving."

"I suppose so, Dario." He turned back to Grandpa Carlisle, his façade of calm indifference disappearing. "I do hope you've been honest with us, Carlisle, for your own sake. Aro doesn't appreciate disloyalty. I expect you're aware of that by now."

"Acutely," was Grandpa Carlisle's cool reply.

Dario and Fabian disappeared into the woods on the other side of the clearing as suddenly as they'd come. No one relaxed, even after they had gone. After a moment, Grandpa Carlisle spoke again. "Alice, Nessie, please contact the Winter coven. They ought to know about this."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Alice, when will they arrive?" Grandpa Carlisle asked, laying a hand on Dad's shoulder. He stood behind my mother's chair, shifting his weight nervously. His hands gripped the back of the chair tightly. The wood groaned in protest, but he seemed too distracted to notice.

"I don't know," she muttered irately. "I can't see anything because of the half-breeds."

The entire family was tense. As soon as Aunt Alice had explained the situation to them, they'd been eager to come. Emily and Tara were planning to bring their mates as well.

Uncle Jasper and Uncle Emmett jogged into the room then. Grandpa Carlisle had sent them to make sure that the Volturi were not still in the area. We didn't need the Winter coven thinking we'd set them up to be found by the Volturi. I wondered what they had done to merit a visit.

"You're sure that there aren't more of them?" Dad asked me.

I shrugged noncommittally. "Emily only mentioned her sister, herself, and their mates."

"But it _is_ possible that there are more?"

I gave him a look. "Come on, Dad. Stop. Grandpa's right, there's no way they'd attack us. Our family's twice the size of theirs. Besides, people at school said they seem nice enough, right Aunt Alice?"

She nodded, although she clearly wasn't paying attention to our conversation. "They're here."

Sure enough, I could hear the sound of car tires as on the long, winding driveway. We all moved towards the door. We watched as they all got out of the car. Rob got out of the driver's seat of a long black car that even looked expensive.

"No way!" Uncle Emmett muttered from behind us. "They have a _Phantom_? A_ Rolls-Royce Phantom_? Why on earth don't we have one of those?"

Everyone ignored him.

"Maybe it would be better if Jacob–" Dad started to say.

"No," I interrupted. "He's a part of this family. They'll have to get used to him." I glanced at Jacob. He grinned back.

As soon as Rob got out of the car, he rushed around to open the doors for Emily and Tara. As soon as they had reached the front door, he and Ian subtly moved to stand in front of their mates. Clearly they were just as nervous as we were.

Grandpa Carlisle opened the door before they could knock. He smiled warmly. "Hello. I'm Carlisle Cullen. You must be Emily and Tara's mates."

Ian glanced at Rob for direction. He smiled stiffly. "Robin Stanton. This is Ian McMaster, and Emily and Tara Winter, whom some of you already know." His eyes flashed to Aunt Alice and me.

I studied Rob and Ian for a moment. They were even more handsome close up. Ian was extremely tall, around 6'5". His well-defined muscles were clearly visible under his close-fitting grey shirt. Rob was shorter, about 6', and not quite as muscled as Ian, was inhumanly attractive.

"Welcome to our home. It's good to finally meet you," Grandpa Carlisle said. "This is my wife Esme, our children Edward, Bella, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie and Alice, my granddaughter Renesmee and her best friend, Jacob."

All four stiffened as they looked at Jacob.

"Heya," Jacob grinned, clearly enjoying the effect he had on them.

Rob took a tiny half-step backwards, his arms extending behind him ever so slightly to shelter his mate. Ian made a similar reaction.

Rob's eyes narrowed and darted to Grandpa Carlisle suspiciously.

"Jacob," Dad hissed beneath his breath as a warning.

After several tense seconds, Rob's eyes moved again, this time to Uncle Jasper. The intensity of the hatred in his expression shocked me. I had never seen anyone look at another being that way.

"Hello, Jasper," Rob spat in an icy, menacing voice.

"Robin," Uncle Jasper murmured, his face twisted with guilt as he stared at the floor.

Dad looked at him with a frown.

I couldn't understand what would make him so hostile towards my uncle. Whatever the "complication" with his transformation had been, it wasn't deserving of this.

"You mentioned this was urgent?" Rob said.

"Yes," Grandpa Carlisle said. "Let's discuss this in the other room."

We led the way into the spacious living room, the Winter coven keeping a good distance between us and them.

"Please, be seated," Grandpa Carlisle said.

Rob and Emily took their seats beside each other on one of the white loveseats, Ian and Tara sitting on the other. All four maintained a rigid posture. Aunt Rose and Uncle Emmett sat on the couch across from Rob and Emily's, as did Aunt Alice. Uncle Jasper stood behind the couch, his hands clasped behind his back, eyes still tortured. Dad, who stood behind Grandpa Carlisle, glanced at him from time to time.

"Alice said something about a development that was imperative that we know about?" Emily said at last, ignoring the interaction between my dad, Uncle Jasper and Rob.

Dad and Grandpa Carlisle exchanged glances. "Half an hour ago, two of the Volturi appeared in a clearing a few minutes from here."

All four concurrently stiffened even farther. I hadn't imagined that was possible.

"They wanted information regarding Emily and Tara."

Emily and Rob exchanged glances first with each other, and then with Ian and Tara. They looked concerned, but not surprised, which in turn surprised and concerned me. If they'd been expecting the Volturi to come for them, they couldn't be involved in anything good. We didn't need any more trouble with the Volturi.

Rob inhaled slowly. "What did you tell them?"

"We told them we didn't know anything about them," Grandpa Carlisle said.

This genuinely and severely shocked them. "You…you _lied_ to the Volturi?" asked Rob.

"It's becoming something of a habit," Dad said.

Rob glanced at Emily, who then shifted her piercing blue eyes to Grandpa Carlisle, a strange look coming over her face. "You're sure you told the Volturi nothing?"

"Yes," Grandpa Carlisle said, his normal calm unmarred by the strange way her eyes bore into him. It amazed me how he could always be so perfectly passive. It sent shivers tingling down my spine to imagine having that look on me. The intensity of her gaze almost reminded of Jane.

He relaxed slightly after receiving a slight nod from Emily. "Why, if I may ask?"

"We have no reason to wish you ill," Grandpa Carlisle said. "Besides, I'm sure my granddaughter, Nessie, could benefit from having people like herself around." He took a step back to slide a stone-like arm around my shoulders with a smile. I gave him a small return smile.

"Ah," said Rob. "So this is the infamous Renesmee Cullen."

I shifted uncomfortably beneath their stares, a familiar heat rising in my face. I hated my blush reflex. Another genetic curse from my mother.

"You must be her father," Emily said. Her tone was inexplicably hostile.

I frowned. What on earth was wrong with these people? They didn't know any of us from Adam, and yet they all seemed to dislike us already. Perhaps Dad had been right to worry.

"Yes," Dad confirmed, ignoring her uncivil tone. "This is her mother, Bella," he said with a gesture to my mother.

"Her mother?" Tara said very quietly.

Both Winter sisters were staring at Mom now. She'd gotten a similar reaction from Nahuel when he'd learned that she'd survived giving birth to me. Emily and Tara stared at her with a mixture of sadness and awe.

"Yes," Dad said, answering for her.

"So it's…it's true then. It's really possible?" Tara whispered.

"Yes." Mom answered this time.

Both grew sad. Rob and Ian responded immediately. Rob put an arm around Emily while Ian took Tara's hand.

"How?" The question was clearly for my mother, but Tara's green eyes were fixed on the ground.

"Well, uh…I almost died, but Edward managed to turn me."

I felt badly for them. I couldn't imagine my life without my parents. I couldn't imagine not going to my mother or Aunt Rose or Aunt Alice for advice, not having my father there to comfort me after a nightmare. I'd had nightmares about that day with the Volturi in the snowy field for most of my life.

The idea of not having my parents there to worry about the little things and freak out over the big things was so strange and foreign. The thought terrified me. It wasn't that I was afraid of being left alone; if anything happened to them, I still had my grandparents and my aunts and uncles, not to mention Jacob, but my parents filled a part of me that none of the others could fill. Aunt Rose came the closest, but it still wouldn't have been the same. I decided not to think about it.

Dad touched my arm lightly. He gave me a small, sad smile.

Several moments passed. "Can I get you anything?" Grandma Esme inquired of our guests, ever gracious.

"No thank you," Emily said politely. "But thank you for the offer."

Another long moment passed. "What should we do, then?" asked Rob finally.

"You're hiding from the Volturi, I take it?" Grandpa Carlisle replied.

After several seconds of silence, Emily murmured, "I suppose you could say that."

Grandpa Carlisle nodded, the dreaded awkward silence falling for several moments more. "Well, might I persuade you to speak with me in private for a moment, Rob?"

Rob looked surprised. His lips curled back slightly as he looked at Uncle Jasper.

This did not go unnoticed by Grandpa Carlisle. "Edward, why don't you and your brothers go for a hunt?" he suggested.

Dad nodded and motioned for the three to follow him. Jacob winked at me before loping out the door after them. I grinned at him.

Grandpa Carlisle looked back at Rob expectantly.

He glanced warily at his mate.

"We'll be fine," Emily said quietly.

Rob hesitated.

"Go," she urged them.

Rob turned back to Grandpa Carlisle and nodded. "Of course," he said.

"I'll go, too," Ian said, following.

"So tell us about yourselves," Grandma Esme said once they had gone, seating herself in a leather armchair. "Where are you from?"

Emily glanced at Tara, whose cheeks starting to colour. _She's worse than I am!_ I thought with amazement.

Emily hesitated, and then said, "I was born near what is now Dartmouth, Nova Scotia," she began. "Tara is from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories." Tara went even redder at the mention of her name.

"May I ask how you came to adopt the animal diet?" asked Aunt Rose politely.

"Why?" she asked circumspectly.

"Idle curiosity," Aunt Rose assured her.

Emily hesitated again. "When my sister and I were living in Saskatchewan, two vampires passed through one day, named Kate and Irina–"

"You know the Denali?" Aunt Alice asked, cutting her off.

Emily nodded. "I understand they're old friends of yours."

"Yes," Aunt Rose confirmed. "We travelled with their coven for a number of years. We still keep in fairly close contact."

"They were the ones that made us see our father for what he really was," Emily said. "They told us about you and your lifestyle. My sister and I instantly adopted it, as did our mates after we met them."

These two just never ran out of surprises. I took a seat on the arm of Grandma Esme's chair.

We spent the next half hour asking them about their lives and they spent the next half-hour trying to dodge them. The conversation finally ended when Rob, Ian and Grandpa Carlisle returned. Dad, my uncles and Jacob reappeared from their hunt shortly thereafter.

"You did not!" Jacob was arguing as he came in, followed by Uncle Emmett.

"Yes I did!" Uncle Emmett insisted. "And it was twice the size of yours!"

He scoffed. "Nessie, tell your uncle he's an idiot."

I blushed stupidly, too flustered to speak.

"Oh come on, Ness! Do you really think I'd be outdone by a _bloodsucker_?"

"Easily," Aunt Rose added.

"I wasn't asking you, Blondie. I know it's difficult for you to understand with your limited brain space and all that, but I would've said 'Blondie' if I was talking to you," Jacob said condescendingly. "I got my grizzly at least thirty seconds before you did."

"That was a _cub_!" Uncle Emmett shot back.

"All right, all right," Grandpa Carlisle said, holding up his hands. "Take it outside."

"Gladly," Jacob said, striding towards the door, Uncle Emmett following. They struggled in the doorway as both tried to get out before the other.

"Stop!" Aunt Alice shouted. "You're going to break the–" She was cut off by the sound of shattering glass.

Grandpa Carlisle exhaled. "Emmet….Jacob…."

Jacob and Uncle Emmett stared at the remains of the sliding glass door in horror for several seconds before turning on each other. "You _broke_ it!" Jacob accused, pushing Uncle Emmett's chest.

"That was you!" Uncle Emmett shoved him back.

Jacob growled, barring his teeth at Uncle Emmett as he slipped into a combative pose. His body shuddered, and then he exploded into a wolf.

The Winters hissed in surprise. All four of them jumped back quickly, Rob and Ian throwing themselves into defensive stances in front of their mates. All four jumped again as Jacob snarled particularly loudly at Uncle Emmett.

"Jacob!" Dad snapped disapprovingly. He turned back to our guests. "I apologize. He means you no harm. He and Emmett–"

Neither Jacob nor Uncle Emmett seemed to notice our guest's reactions. Uncle Emmett's lips curled upwards in a snarl, his teeth glinting in the twilight. He tackled him, sending them both flying out of the spot where the door had previously been. They became a snarling, growling, hissing blur of russet and marble against the dark green of the lawn.

Dad sighed. "Well, I suppose you can see for yourself."

Rob and Ian relaxed after a moment. "Well, we ought to be going," Rob said over the din coming from outside.

"It was a pleasure to meet you," Grandpa Carlisle said, extending his hand to Rob first.

Rob hesitated, and then shook it wordlessly. His eyes swept over my family, skipping over Uncle Jasper before turning and leaving the house, Ian following.

"OW! OKAY! MERCY, MERCY!" Jacob crowed from the yard, apparently back in human form.

Concern clenched my insides. I rushed to the remnants of the back door, picking my way through the scattered pieces of glass. "Jake? You okay?"

"Whoa, whoa," Dad said, pulling me away from what was left of the door. He strode through the mess and tossed a dark wad outside. "Here," he said. "Put that on."

I went beet-red instantly. "Oh," I murmured. I'd forgotten about that. Jacob was usually very good about controlling his phasing. It was seldom that he changed on a whim as he had just now. I wasn't used to having to remember about clothes.

"Thanks, Edward," his voice said from outside. There was silence for a moment and then another low thud. Jacob cursed. "OW!" he shrieked again. "I SAID MERCY!" he bellowed at Uncle Emmett.

I made my way back to the door. My uncle had him pinned against the ground, his arms twisted underneath him. It even looked painful.

"Come on, Uncle Emmett, let him up," I said.

"Which part of _mercy_ did you not get, bloodsucker?" Jacob shouted. Presently, there was a sickening crack. "_OW_!" He cursed fluently for several seconds. "Let me go, you idiot!"

"Let him up!" I insisted.

Uncle Emmett smirked and released him. He walked triumphantly back to the hole in the wall where the door had been.

I ignored him and rushed outside to Jacob. "Are you okay?"

"The moron broke my arm," he growled.

I felt a surge of anger rush up in me. I shot Uncle Emmett a disapproving glare over my shoulder. He snickered at Jacob's misfortune.

Jacob growled again. "Don't worry, Nessie. It'll be healed by tomorrow," he said loudly enough for Uncle Emmett to hear.

Uncle Emmett's booming laughter echoed in the forest several hundred metres behind us.

"Emmett, fix the door, please," said Grandpa Carlisle, his calm tone mildly strained.

"All right, all right," he said. "You know, I'd watch those two, Edward. I think our Nessie might have a little flame for the mutt."

My jaw dropped and my cheeks flamed simultaneously.

"_Emmett_!" Mom exclaimed, punching his arm. "Don't be a jerk!"

Jacob frowned, confused. "Huh?"

My cheeks grew hotter. I tried my best to hide my face behind my hair.

"And he calls _me_ 'blondie'," Aunt Rose snorted as Uncle Emmett wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Come on, Rose. We'll go get some things to fix Doggie's accident," Uncle Emmett said smugly, gesturing to the broken glass.

I followed Jacob, who was cradling his right arm, into the house.

"Let's get that arm splinted, shall we, Jacob?" Grandpa Carlisle said. I imagined that repairing Jacob's bones had become quite routine for him. In the past six years, Uncle Emmett and Jacob had gotten into more than a few fights resulting in Jacob breaking limbs.

"Nessie, why don't you go see if you can help with the door?" Grandpa Carlisle suggested.

I hadn't even noticed that I'd been following Jacob until that moment. I realized then that we were in Grandpa Carlisle's office.

"Can I stay?"

He glanced at Jacob.

"'Course you can stay," grinned Jacob.

My head suddenly felt light as my blush intensified. Was the room hot or was it just me? I sat down quickly. _Completely normal_…I told myself again. _September's a summer-ish month._ I looked out the window as Grandpa Carlisle and Jacob chatted to take my mind off of the strange feeling worming about in my gut. It was night now. The crescent moon shone clear and pale in the dark blue sky, the glittering, serene stars flanking it. I couldn't believe that all that it had been hours since the day had started. It felt more like years. I sighed and sat back in my chair. This would certainly make for an interesting year.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Emmett," Dad said wearily. "For the last time, leave Jacob's arm alone."

Uncle Emmett gave him a wicked smile and gave Jacob's fragile arm a final nudge. Jacob yowled and pulled it away. Over the past week, it had been healing even faster than usual, which Jacob had been sure to point out, but it was still delicate.

I shot Uncle Emmett a glare.

"Aw, you're so protective," Uncle Emmett said with an amused grin. "Come on, Nessie. Let him be a man. Well, at least let him _try_, anyway."

I scowled at him and turned away to face my parents.

"Emmett, leave them alone," Mom said coolly.

Uncle Emmett raised his hands in surrender. Once Mom had turned away, he gave me a devilish grin, his expression promising that he was just getting started.

"Has anyone talked to the Winters since last week?" Aunt Rose asked quietly as the four filed into the cafeteria. Emily cast a quick glance in our direction and then whispered something to Rob. He nodded and then led them to a table on the other side of the cafeteria from us.

I shook my head. "They pair up with different people in gym class now."

"Wow," Dad murmured, chuckling quietly.

I looked at him. "What?"

"Emily _really_ does not like me."

"That's got to be a bit of a new experience for you, huh Edward?" Jacob teased.

Dad chuckled. Mom stuck her tongue out at him.

"What do you mean?" Aunt Alice asked, ignoring their bantering. "What's she thinking?"

"Well, I don't entirely understand everything I'm hearing. She's wondering who 'trained' me and where the 'others' are."

"They think there are more of us?" Uncle Jasper asked warily.

"I don't know," Dad said. "I suppose so. I really have no idea what she's talking about."

"Ooh, this'd make for a sweet fight," Uncle Emmett grinned. "My money's on the tall one."

"How much money?" Uncle Jasper asked innocently.

"Two grand."

"Done." The two shook hands.

"Two grand on the shorter one," Jacob said.

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"He's got anger problems," Jacob explained. "The angry ones are always the most interesting. Take Paul, for example."

I snorted. Paul, a member of Sam's pack and Jacob's brother-in-law (as he hated to be reminded), was notorious for his violent temper.

Uncle Emmett shook his hand.

"Speaking of werewolves, perhaps it would be best if you left Vancouver to meet the pack this time, Jacob," Dad suggested. "If the Winters caught the scent of werewolves, they might get the wrong idea. We don't want the Winters to think we're preparing to attack them."

"Good point," Aunt Alice said. "You can even take the Porsche if you want."

Jacob beamed at her. "You rock, Tiny."

Aunt Alice grinned. "I know."

I glanced at Aunt Rose, who was looking pensively at the other vampires' table. She sighed. "We should invite them to eat lunch with us."

"What?" Uncle Jasper asked quickly.

"Why?" Jacob said.

"I think they have a point, Rose," Dad said quietly. "I don't know if Rob would be very…" he trailed off, his gaze flicking from my uncle to Rob.

I shuddered. "Would it even be safe?" I asked, thinking of their reaction to Jacob.

"Well we won't know until we try, will we?" Aunt Alice said.

I glanced apprehensively at the other table. They seemed calm enough. I sighed in defeat. I knew they would invite them whether I liked it or not. "All right."

"Come on," Aunt Alice said. "Your presence might reassure them a little."

"I'll come, too," Aunt Rose said, rising.

I hung back as my aunts guided me to the Winter's table. I cleared my throat awkwardly.

"Hi," Aunt Alice said pleasantly. "Would you like to eat with us?"

They stared at us uncomprehendingly for a moment. They all looked at Rob.

He glanced at our table for a moment and forced a smile. "Thank you for your offer, but–"

"Rob," Emily murmured.

He looked at her and then back at Aunt Alice. "Will Mr. Whitlock and your other…friend…be joining us?"

I instantly bristled at the tone he used to refer to Jacob. I wasn't particularly fond of his tone in regard to Uncle Jasper, either.

"Yes," Aunt Alice said with an unfaltering smile.

Emily touched his arm lightly and gave him a purposeful look. Finally, he sighed in defeat. "On second consideration, that would be lovely."

She nodded slightly.

All four rose and gathered up their things. Dad and Uncle Jasper drew up some chairs for them.

My face burned as I felt all of the cafeteria turn to stare at us. I sat down beside Mom quickly, wishing to melt into the floor and disappear. The Winters, however, seemed as oblivious as always to our audience. Rob and Ian subtly took places beside Uncle Emmett and Dad with Emily and Tara between them. No one could have ever accused them of being reckless. They were almost hyper-vigilant around us.

As soon as they sat down at our table, mutterings broke out throughout the entire cafeteria. My face became hotter still.

Jacob chuckled. "You're about the colour of a tomato, you know."

The Winters flinched at the sound of his voice. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. How long was it going to take for them to realize that he wasn't some volatile, dangerous animal?

"Ness?"

I looked at him, realizing that he was waiting for a response. "Oh," I said. "Yeah, that seems to happen to me a lot."

He laughed again, the whiteness of his teeth against his russet skin temporarily distracting me.

The conversation continued almost as easily as before. It was difficult not to notice how uneasy they were in our presence. They seemed to be constantly on the edge of their seats and on the verge of bolting from the table. I couldn't understand their aversion to Jacob. He was politer than half of the vampires I'd met (which, admittedly, was not all that many).

The Winters were silent throughout the majority of the lunch period, speaking only when spoken to directly. Several times, I noticed Emily and Tara exchange glances that didn't quite fit with the context of the conversation, as though they were having their own silent conversation. I glanced at Dad, wondering if he could hear them. He was frowning with concentration. I touched his arm lightly. _What's going on?_ I thought.

"I just heard Tara's name in a boy's thoughts."

"You _heard_ his thoughts?" Rob asked, shock resonating on his face.

All eyes turned to my father.

"Yes," he replied unwaveringly.

They were absolutely silent as they stared at us. Emily broke the silence finally. "Huh. Okay then. Was his name Jeff Whitman by any chance?" she asked nonchalantly, a light smirk on her face.

"Shut the hell up," Tara hissed.

Rob and Emily snickered quietly. Ian glared at them.

I looked at Dad. _Dad, what's_ really _going_ _on? You're not going to tell them about Aunt Alice, Uncle Jasper, Mom and me?_ I thought.

He rose suddenly. "Nessie and I are going to go back to the house. She forgot her math textbook."

Mom looked at us, clearly unconvinced. "All right. Well, hurry back."

Dad smiled at her warmly. "Of course." I turned away in disgust as he pressed a brief kiss to her lips. He looked back at me. "Come on, Nessie." He led me out of the school and towards the parking lot.

"Are we actually going home?" I asked.

"Yes. You _did_ forget your textbook."

"No I didn't," I said, sliding my backpack off of my shoulder to look inside. Sure enough, my textbook was absent. "Okay, Da – uh, Edward, that's freaky. How did you know?"

"Dads know everything." He flashed me a grin and slid an arm around my shoulders as we walked to the car.

I climbed into the passenger seat and buckled up, as did my father. I still found it an onerous task. It was completely unnecessary with a vampire driving the car. "So why aren't we filling in the Winters on our gifts?"

"Carlisle doesn't think it's a good idea for us to share too much with them at this point. The most we can do until they choose to trust us is to let them now that we are trustworthy. But it might be quite some time before even that happens, given their feelings towards us," he said, running a red light.

I gave him a look. Mom and I hated it when he did that. "You're going to live for eternity and you can't wait for a stoplight?"

He rolled his eyes. "Do I critique your driving?"

"You don't let me drive!"

"I don't, but I know Jasper and Emmett do."

"_Anyway_," I said. "Why don't you know?"

"I couldn't hear them."

I blinked. "You couldn't hear them?"

He shook his head. "I think one of them is a shield."

"Like Mom?"

"Yes, exactly."

We were home shortly thereafter. Dad ran inside to get my textbook before I even had a chance to get out of the car.

"I'm going to drop you off at school. I'm coming back to talk to Carlisle," he informed me.

"Why?"

"I want his updated opinion on the situation. And I don't want you and Jacob hunting for the next few weeks."

"What? Dad, Grandpa Carlisle _said_ we aren't in danger."

"I'm not worried about 'us'. I'm worried about _you_."

"Why would I be in danger?"

"Do you really need to ask? Do you think the Volturi just like to make house-calls?"

"Of course not! I'm not an idiotic child, Dad! But they're not after me anymore!"

"No, not _yet_."

"This is completely insane!"

"I'm not asking you to understand, Nessie. This is not up for discussion."

I gave him the silent treatment for the rest of the drive, stewing silently over the injustice of the situation. I hated it when he got all irritatingly overprotective. He treated me like I was made of glass. They all did.

"Tell your mom about the change of plans," Dad said as he pulled up in front of the school.

I slammed the door behind me wordlessly. I hated being treated like a child. _I'll look older than him soon_, I reminded myself.

The absurdity of the idea of being physically older than my own father suddenly hit me. I burst into peals of laughter in the middle of the parking lot. After a minute, I managed to compose myself. Only noticing now that there were several people staring at me and evidently doubting my sanity, I rushed to class, my entire face burning like a comet.

"Where the heck were you?" demanded Aunt Alice as I rushed into class late.

"Dad took me home to get my math book," I said.

"Oh. That's it?"

"Not exactly," I said noncommittally.

She stared at me, waiting for an elaboration.

"Dad and I were just talking."

She glared at me. "Don't make me try so hard, Nessie. Would it be impossible for you to volunteer some information here?"

"Okay, okay," I said. "We were talking about the Winter's gifts."

"And?"

"I wanted to know why he wasn't going to tell them about ours."

"And?"

"And Grandpa Carlisle doesn't want us to until we get to know them better."

"And?"

"He banned me from hunting."

She shook her head and snorted. "Edward."

* * *

"Oh," Dad said in a pleasantly surprised tone as we arrived at school the following morning.

"What is it?" Mom asked for me.

Dad pulled into a spot adjacent the Winters' sleek black car. All four were leaning against it, watching us with slightly artificial-looking smiles. I could still see the wariness in their eyes. "They're waiting for us."

Jacob raised an eyebrow. "That sounds a little menacing."

Dad chuckled. "Their intentions are anything but. You needn't worry."

"I'm not the worrier," Jacob muttered, giving Dad a purposeful look. We exchanged smirks.

I got out of the car and waited for the rest of my family to arrive. Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper had already arrived in her Porsche, as had Uncle Emmett and Aunt Rose in his Lamborghini. They made their way across the lot to join us.

"Good morning," Rob said cordially.

"Good morning," Dad replied. "It was kind of you to wait for us."

"Our visit to your home did not end precisely as we would have liked. We are not accustomed to being around…" He trailed off as he looked at Jacob. "Well, it was a fairly drastic shock for us, and we reacted poorly, for which we apologize. At any rate, we also wished to thank you for your kind invitation to eat lunch with you yesterday," Rob replied. "As I'm sure you can understand, we don't make it a habit to socialize with those outside of our own family."

"We are still fairly new to this diet," Ian said. His thirsty black eyes seemed to emphasize that point. "It's still very difficult for us. Well, for my brother and me, at least."

"Of course," Dad smiled. "We are all quite hopeful that we shall be able to get to know you better. We appear to share some…shall we say, compellingly similar characteristics."

Emily's face abruptly became unfriendly. She looked at Tara.

I frowned and considered what Dad had said. I couldn't understand what had been so offensive to her. He'd been perfectly polite and sensitive to where we were. What was wrong with her?

"Indeed," Rob said. If he noticed his mate's reaction, he chose to ignore it.

I swallowed as we walked up to the school. I could feel dozens – if not _hundreds_ – of pairs of eyes following us. Everywhere, people were muttering about the strange family that had coaxed the elusive, antisocial Winters out of their protective shell.

"Come on," Jacob said, taking my hand. My skin felt like it was burning where he touched it. That warmth spread through the rest of me like a wildfire. "I know this has got to be driving you nuts," he said, gesturing to the crowd of onlookers.

"Lifesaver," I said gratefully. "I think my face is going to actually burst into flame."

The two of us rushed out of the parking lot and back to the school. Jacob walked me to class. "Have a good morning, Ness," he said, winking at me and messing my hair.

"Eh," I laughed, trying to fix my now messy curls. "Do you want to get me in trouble with Aunt Alice?"

He laughed with me. "I'll see you at lunch."

Lunch was an interesting affair that particular afternoon. The Winters joined us again. Emily and Rob tentatively joined our conversations, for the first time since we'd met them. Ian and Tara, however, remained entirely silent.

"So, Rob, you like cars, I see," Dad said.

Rob looked at him. "Yes. As do you, I gather."

"And um…Emily," Aunt Alice said. "You're interested in fashion?"

Emily gave a genuine smile. I realized that it was the first time I'd seen her offer one. "Terribly."

Mom and I exchanged glances. "Uh-oh," we mouthed in unison.

* * *

Gradually, the Winters began to "eat" lunch with us more often, but always at the other end of the table from Jacob. But their issues weren't my primary concern at the moment. Things with Jacob were becoming more awkward by the day. I struggled to understand why the very sight of him sent my heart fluttering like a bird on steroids. I had been around Jacob every day of my life – literally, and yet I found myself noticing things about him that I had never seen before; the way his eyes danced when he smiled or laughed or teased me, the way he seemed to be able to lighten my mood just by being in the same room.

_Augh_, I thought as I shut my locker and pretended to listen to Aunt Rose's detailed account of the events of Paris Fashion Week, which she had attended with Aunt Alice. _You sound like some disgusting romance novel, Nessie. Snap out of it. You're not supposed to think about Jacob like this. He's practically your brother! Just…stop._

"And then we were…Nessie? Where are you going? Your science class is this way," she said, pointing in the opposite direction.

I blinked. "Oh. Yeah." I moved to walk in that direction. She stopped me and folded her arms across her chest. "What's going on with you? You've been distant lately. You seem…preoccupied."

I chewed on my lip as I debated mentally. If I told her, she'd probably want to have me tested for clinical insanity. She hated Jacob. The only reason she tolerated living under the same roof as him was because she knew Mom and I loved him. Well, so did the rest of my family, but I liked to think that Mom and I were her greatest motivations for toleration. I knew I could trust her implicitly, but the thought of confiding in her about my strange feelings for Jacob was slightly daunting. On the other hand, if I told her, she might be able to help.

"Ness?" she asked, stroking my arm. Her expression was concerned now. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

_I hope so_, I thought. "Um…well…I'm sort of…" I sighed. "Jacob and I…I…" I tried to think of how best to phrase what I was trying to say. "I sort of am…beginning to feel…weird around…Jacob." I winced as I waited for her inevitable onslaught of Jacob-hating.

She blinked. "What?"

I weighed my words carefully. "I think I might…like him."

Aunt Rose studied me with interest. "Like. As in like romantically?"

I nodded sheepishly.

She sighed and pulled me into her arms. "Is that what you thought you had to keep from me, Nessie?" she sighed. "That's ridiculous. I mean, I would be thrilled if you developed feelings for a boy who _doesn't_ turn into a disgusting, slathering, filthy, hairy, flea-ridden, idiotic–"

"Aunt Rose," I said, giving her a look.

"–animal, but it's not about me, is it? You needn't worry. Not even I can deny that the fur-ball is good to you."

I frowned in surprise. "You're really not upset about this?"

"No," she said pleasantly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Are you really sure?"

"Your faith in me is overwhelming," she said dryly.

I chuckled. "Thank you, Aunt Rose. Uh, I mean…Rosalie."

"You're very welcome. Now let's get you to class."

We met the Winters for lunch outside following day. The sky was entirely overcast, but according to Aunt Alice, the rain would hold off until this evening. We were the first to arrive at the courtyard. Emily and Tara came next, bickering as they approached us.

"I don't _care_ if you don't like it! You don't have to wear it!" Tara was saying to her sister irately.

"Fashion isn't just some silly pastime, Tara, it's actually important," Emily chided as she popped an apple slice into her mouth. Aside from Jacob, she was really the only one that ever truly ate at our table.

"We're immortal," Tara muttered. "I don't see what difference wearing a T-shirt for one day will make."  
Emily sighed dramatically.

Uncle Jasper and Uncle Emmett arrived then. "The party has arrived," Uncle Emmett announced. "You can all start having fun now." Uncle Jasper sat down beside Emily while Aunt Alice moved to sit on his other side. She smiled at them and then immediately struck up a conversation.

I sighed and played with my water bottle as I waited for the rest of the family to trickle in. Rob and Ian arrived next, with my parents, Jacob and Uncle Emmett following shortly thereafter.

"Hey," Uncle Emmett said, looking at Rob as he arrived with Ian and my parents. "So that Rolls-Royce Phantom you rolled up to our house in the other day, who'd you steal it from?"

Rob blinked. "Uh…I didn't."

Uncle Emmett boomed a laugh. "Yeah right. Come on. Your secret's safe with me. Don't worry, I completely sympathize. It's a great car. But seriously. Did you have to kill for it?"

Rob stared at him uncomprehendingly.

Emily chuckled. "He's kidding, dear," she said, patting his hand.

"Oh." Rob forced a smile. "Funny."

"So was it a CEO?" Uncle Emmett persisted.

I tuned him out after that. I glanced at Tara, who sat to my left. She was toying dejectedly with her sandwich. I could understand her pain perfectly. I hated eating human food. It was so much less satisfying than blood, and it was far less sustaining. I had to actually eat three times a day with human food. On a blood diet, I could go for weeks in between hunts. "Do you prefer hunting?" I asked her.

Tara looked at me, her face colouring. "Yeah," she said quietly.

I nodded. "Me too."

"T," Emily said firmly. She was eyeing us through slightly-narrowed eyes.

"No," Tara hissed back. "If you won't tell me anything, I don't see why I should care." She looked at me again. "My sister and her husband seem to think that I shouldn't talk to you."

Emily rolled her eyes and looked at her mate for help.

It took a great deal of effort to keep myself from gaping. What would make them think that? Did they think I was some sort of bad influence? "Oh," I murmured, slightly injured.

"Tara," Rob said warningly.

Tara ignored him. "They seem to think that you and your dad–"

Emily jumped to her feet suddenly. "_Tara_!" she snapped. "That's enough!"

She continued to ignore her, but stopped speaking.

I shifted uncomfortably as Emily glowered at her sister. She spun on her heel and stormed away suddenly.

The room fell eerily silent for a moment. The entire cafeteria stared after her in amazement. I really couldn't understand what made her think I was so dangerous. And what did my father have to do with anything?

Rob sighed and began to rise.

"No, no," Aunt Alice said. "Let me try."

He looked at her for a moment, and then nodded and resumed his seat.

I looked at Dad. He was frowning as he stared after Aunt Alice and Emily. I looked at Jacob instead. He met my eyes and shrugged lightly, clearly as confused as I was.

"They think you and your father are dangerous," Tara finished more quietly. "But of course they won't explain why. They think that they're protecting me by not letting me talk to you, because all three of them are ridiculously overprotective," she said, shooting a purposeful glance at Rob. It was then that she realized that everyone was staring at her. She abruptly fell silent.

Uncle Emmett laughed. "Edward…Nessie…dangerous. Oh, that's a good one. They're about as dangerous as fluffy pillows."

"Excuse me," Dad said. "A fluffy pillow?"

"You heard me," Uncle Emmett said tauntingly.

Jacob laughed with him. "You know, Emmett, I find that kind of funny coming from you."

"Did you just imply that _I'm_ the fluffy pillow?" Uncle Emmett demanded.

"You heard me," Jacob retorted.

I grinned and then looked at Tara again. "Yeah, I get the whole overprotective thing." She thought she had it bad with _three_ people hovering over her. I had _nine_.

I walked with Tara to gym class following lunch. Tara had fallen silent again but it wasn't an awkward silence. We changed and then joined the rest of the class by the tennis nets. Emily and Aunt Alice arrived halfway through the period. They managed to dazzle our gym teacher senseless and then joined us. I looked at Aunt Alice questioningly as she took her position beside me on the court.

"I'm sorry for the way I behaved before," Emily told me suddenly. "I…I didn't understand the situation."

I bit my lip, my face warming. "That's…fine."

She smiled at me.

"Uh-oh," Aunt Alice murmured suddenly.

I looked at her. "What?"

"Tara, that boy over there," she said, gesturing to a boy on the court adjacent ours. "Is about to come over here and ask you out."

Tara blushed.

Emily laughed. "That is the aforementioned Jeff Whitman."

I looked at him. He was good-looking by human standards. He was a lean boy, with dark curly hair and blue eyes. His face still had some of its childhood roundness. He was clearly showing off as he hit the birdie over the net and then shot what he probably thought was a shy glance at Tara.

"He and his friends are going to bet ten dollars that he can get your number," Aunt Alice added.

Tara's pale face went beet-red in an instant. She continued to play, pretending not to notice as he approached her several moments later.

"Hey, Emily, Tara," he said in what I imagined was an attempt at a silky tone, but after being surrounded by vampires and a certain werewolf for my whole life, it simply didn't compare. He nodded to both of them.

Emily smirked slightly. "Jeff," she said, nodding her head in return.

He looked at Tara again. "So I was wondering if maybe you'd like to catch a movie with me? Say, Friday?" He was looking at her with an expression that was so pitifully hopeful that it almost made me feel sorry for him.

Tara looked at Jeff unwillingly. Her mortification was about as subtle as black permanent marker scrawled across her face. "Um…I'm still with Ian," she murmured.

"_Still_?" he asked, his jaw dropping. "What's it been, like, three years now?"

"Try twenty-four," Emily muttered below the level of human hearing.

* * *

Over the following month, we began to spend more time with the Winters, to the amazement of the rest of the school. The Winters seemed to have a history of being even more antisocial than we were. I hadn't even realized that that was possible. According to Dad, some had begun to think that the Winters associated only with the rich and beautiful, though this stereotype seemed to mean little to them.

Within four weeks, Emily and Rob especially had fit in nicely amongst our family, though Ian and Tara remained relatively introverted. Emily and Aunt Alice got along particularly well, due in large to their nearly identical tastes in fashion, and Rob was delighted to have found a kindred spirit in my father and Uncle Emmett, although he still avoided Uncle Jasper like the plague. Emily, however, seemed to be becoming as close with him as she was with Aunt Alice.

"Jacob, you were supposed to _share_ the shrimp ring," said Grandma Esme as he gulped down the chilled shrimp she'd prepared for our snack one afternoon.

He paused in mid-chew. "Want it?" he asked, gesturing to the single shrimp left on the tray.

"I'm good," I giggled. I felt a stab of triumph upon realizing that for the first time since these confusing new feelings had emerged, I hadn't blushed.

"You never eat," complained Grandma Esme.

I shrugged. "I'm never hungry. Besides, aren't Mom and Dad going hunting tonight?"

"He's going again?" Jacob asked, belching loudly.

Aunt Rose turned her head away in disgust. "I will not tear his head off…I will not tear his head off…" she muttered.

"Yes, they're going," said Grandma Esme to Jacob. "And nice try," she said to me.

I sighed. Of course Dad would have told her. They probably all knew.

Jacob was reaching for the last shrimp when Aunt Rose snatched his wrist. "Don't…touch…the shrimp," she said through barred teeth.

"No, it's okay, Aunt Rose," she said. "He can have it."

"No, he can't," she said tersely.

I sighed and took the shrimp to appease her. I cast Jacob an apologetic glance.

A misguided swing of Jacob's massive hand as he twisted it out of her grasp sent shrimp tails scattering over the marble surface. The tray flew across the room and landed on the floor near the table.

Aunt Rose hissed in fury. "All right! Out! Now!"

"You know, Blondie, I'm still trying to figure out who died and made you God."

"Jacob," Grandma Esme said softly. "Maybe it would be better if you did go…just for now." She glanced at my livid Aunt Rose.

"Fine," Jacob said resignedly. "You wanna come, Ness?"

My moment of triumph fizzled presently. "Sure," I said, hoping I didn't sound overly eager.

"Stay close to the house," Aunt Rose very nearly snarled through her clenched teeth.

"I know," I said, following Jacob out of the house and to the woods. Dad had forged a trail for us when we'd first arrived. It was completely unnecessary, of course, but that was Dad for you.

"What's with Rosalie today?" Jacob commented as we walked towards the path. "I didn't know vampires could PMS."

"Very funny," I replied. "You do tend to get on her nerves, though."

He grinned. "I try."

"I've noticed. Could you please be nice to her? She's important to me."

"But–"

"Please, Jacob? For me?" I tried to be dazzling as I asked.

He sighed and nodded.

I smiled. "Thanks, Jake." I felt more comfortable around him than I had in weeks. Things felt almost like the way they had before, when he was just my big brother and I was just his little sister – almost. My feelings for him were still there; I was aware of them every moment, but it wasn't as awkward as it had been before.

I suddenly wished I could read minds like Dad. I would've killed to know how Jacob felt about me.

"Ness?" By his tone, this was not the first time he'd tried to get my attention.

"Uh, yeah? Sorry. I was thinking." Stupid blush reflex.

"Oh. Kay." I was grateful that he let it slide. "Anyway, are you up for a hunt?"

"I'd love to, but Dad won't let me."

"What? Why?"

"Hey, it's my dad. Like he needs a legitimate reason."

Jacob chuckled. "He's just trying to look out for you."

"I know, but I'm not a kid anymore. I'm almost fully grown."

"He knows. It's just…you grew up so fast."

"That's not my fault."

"I know," he reassured me. "But they're just not used to the idea of treating you as teen yet."

I thought for a minute. "You're right, I guess. But he's just so…smothering! Mom can be too. _You_ don't treat me like a kid."

He shrugged.

I sighed. "It sucks to be the youngest."

He smiled. "Hey, I hear you. I was the youngest before you, remember?"

We walked along the path for a long time. As we neared the creek, I began to realize that we were a little farther than we were supposed to be, but I wasn't ready to go back just yet. I enjoyed being able to talk just to him, without having Uncle Emmett constantly making jokes at our expense. I would've been happy to spend the rest of my eternal life right here with him.

I suddenly lost my footing on loose rocks. I shrieked involuntarily as I began to fall.

"Whoa!" Jacob's strong arms shot out to catch me. "You okay?"

The flame burst into a roaring inferno in that instant. My rational side screamed at me not to make things awkward, but the electricity coursing through my veins wouldn't listen to reason. What little sense I had was completely and mercilessly obliterated by my raging, screaming emotions.

Before I could stop myself, I wrapped my arms around his neck. My lips suddenly ached for his. To my shock, he didn't pull away from my embrace. My already-racing heart pounded harder as his head inclined towards mine.

"Renesmee? Jacob?"

My first shock was at the revelation that there was a world around us. I'd completely forgotten in that moment. The second shock, and this one considerably more jarring, was that the voice that had interrupted our almost-kiss was my mother's. I looked at her now. She stood a dozen metres away, staring at us. A variety of emotions played across her face as she looked at us. They ranged from shock, to amusement, to concern, to anger, and something that almost looked like fear.

"Come on, Nessie. Let's go home. Jake, I think you should probably take off for a while. Edward's.…well, I'm sure you can guess."

I glanced at Jake, my mortification complete. My _dad_, of all people, had heard that. Jacob gave me a brief, remorseful look before turning and disappearing into the woods.

Mom and I walked back to the house in complete silence. I debated whether to try to explain what had happened, or to pretend nothing had happened at all.

I discovered upon entering the house that dad was not nearly as calm and collected about it as Mom was. He was running up and down the stairs, his arms laden with power tools and boxes from a hardware store. I glanced at Mom for help. She merely grimaced and led the way up the four flights of stairs to my room.

Dad was sifting through his materials. The word "homicidal" came to mind as I took in his fierce expression. He was muttering faster than even I could follow, his words mixing with snarls.

I cleared my throat nervously, trying to amass all the courage I could find within myself. There wasn't much. "Wh-what're you doing?"

He looked up sharply with a feral snarl. I jumped slightly. He'd never actually snarled at me before. "I'm putting more locks on your door."

My jaw dropped. "What? Why?"

"Do you really need to ask?" he hissed. "Unfortunately, Esme and Carlisle weren't in agreement with my offer to throw him out. Personally."

"You were going to _kick him out_?"

"I want him nowhere near you." And then he was muttering again, using the odd growl for punctuation.

"What? That's completely unreasonable!"

"Unreasonable?" he very nearly shouted, jumping to his feet. "You weren't in his _head_!"

"Edward," Mom said. "Calm down."

"Don't tell me to be calm, Bella! You don't know what he was thinking."

"I'm sure it wasn't anything deserving of this," she said, gesturing to the tools and locks.

He glared at her for a moment, and then shifted his murderous gaze to me. "Renesmee Cullen, you're grounded."

Mom looked at me suddenly. "Nessie, please go to the other room for a moment," she said before I could react to what Dad had said.  
I narrowed my eyes at them and then walked down the hall to the library and slammed the door behind me with such force that the books shuddered on the shelves. I was grateful for the opportunity to brood. I couldn't believe he would be so idiotic about something that hadn't even happened. I paced angrily around the library for a few seconds before electing to eavesdrop on them anyway.

"Edward, you need to get a grip," she snapped. "She's not a little girl anymore. We knew this was coming. We've known since she was a baby. You can't punish her for the way she feels."

My eyes widened. _How could they possibly know that_?

"She's still a child, Bella. She's no where near old enough to deal with this sort of thing."

It took all the restraint I possessed not to retort.

Mom sighed. "Edward, how old are you?"

"Do you mean physically or technically?"

"Physically."

"Seventeen. You know that."

"And how old am I?"

"Are you really asking me to tell you how old you are?"

"Answer the question."

"Eighteen."

"And how old is she?"

"Six."

"I'm talking physically and mentally, and you know it. So how old is she?"

"We don't have an exact age." There was a beat of silence, and then Dad said, "About sixteen."

"Exactly. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that's approximately a one-year difference between her age and the age at which I became involved with you."

I suddenly felt a surge of affection for my mother. If there was anyone that could plead my case to my father, it was her.

"It's not the same circumstance, Bella. You can't really be telling me that you are in favour of the idea of our daughter being with Jacob."

"I'm in favour of her happiness. Face it. She's almost grown up. We're going to have to let her go eventually. Before we know it, she's going to be seven and she'll be done maturing. She's already almost our age physically. We've done all the rearing we're going to be able to do."

Dad was quiet for a moment. "I'm not ready to let her go."

"Neither am I," she said softly. "But Jake's a really good guy. You know that. He cares about her just as much as we do. He'll take good care of her."

He was quiet again. "Fine. I'll try to be…nicer about it."

"Thank you." They were quiet for a moment. "Well, I think it's time that I told her." I heard her footsteps approaching the door. I snatched a book off the shelf and pretended to read. She stopped suddenly. "And Edward?"

"Yes, love?"

"No more locks."

He chuckled. "As you wish."

Mom opened the door. "Hey."

I glanced up. "Hi," I said in the tersest, most unfriendly tone I could manage given the celebration that was going on inside of me.

"Oh come on. I know you heard all of that. You can stop pretending now."

I dropped the pretence immediately. I snapped the book shut, my curiosity overcoming me. "What was it that you have to tell me?"

She sighed. "Let's sit down, okay?"

I was instantly wary. "Is it that bad?"

"Maybe. It depends on how you take it."

I sat down, slightly nervous. I waited for her to begin.

She sighed again. "Okay. A long time ago, before you were born, back when your dad and I were just dating, Dad and Aunt Alice arranged a birthday party for my eighteenth birthday. You remember Dad telling you about what a klutz I was as a human, right?"

I nodded numbly.

"Well, this was back when your Uncle Jasper was still getting used to being a vegetarian. I gave myself a paper cut by accident, and he went into a little bit of a frenzy. Edward got me out of the way in time, but he decided that the only way to me safe was to leave. So…he just left. I was completely devastated. I was severely depressed for months. Everything reminded me of him. I became a ghost." She paused, seeming lost in the memory. I was too fearful to even think about what she was telling me. "It was during that time that I became friends with Jacob."

I fought the panic that was building. This was about Jacob. I nodded again.

"From the very beginning, it was clear that–"

"Bella!" Dad's voice sounded from down the hall. We both turned as he opened the door. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but someone's outside the house."

She frowned. "Do we know who?"

A knock sounded on the door four floors below as she spoke. The three of us descended the stairs at lightening-speed. The Winters stood on the other side of the door that Uncle Jasper was opening. The rest of the family congregated in the entrance way.

The first thing that struck me was how terrified they all looked.

"Emily? Tara? What's going on?" Uncle Jasper asked.

Emily stepped through the door and threw her arms around him, her entire body quivering. It wasn't cause for much surprise or amazement for me, but Rob, apparently, did not share my sentiments.

He had frozen into perfect motionlessness, his eyes wide with fury. I saw Dad wince at whatever he was thinking. I was sure I didn't want to know.

Aunt Alice moved to join them and stroked her back. "What happened?"

Emily began to tremble more violently. I glanced tentatively at Rob. His jaw was taut, the muscles in his neck strained. His hands were fists at his side, his chest heaving with rage. He began to lean forward into an offensive position. It was clearly taking a monumental amount of self-restraint not to tear Emily away from Uncle Jasper and rip him to shreds. I saw Dad exchange glances with Uncle Emmett and Grandpa Carlisle.

"Jasper, Alice," Dad said quietly. "I think maybe you should take her to the other room."

Aunt Alice glanced at Rob. "Oh." She quickly led Uncle Jasper and Emily out of the room.

Tara and Ian glanced at Rob anxiously.

"Go," he managed to say, his eyes still fixed on Emily, Uncle Jasper and Aunt Alice's receding forms.

The couple followed after the three. Mom, Aunt Rose, Grandma Esme and Grandpa Carlisle followed as well, leaving Dad, Uncle Emmett, Rob and me.

"Edward," Rob said through clenched teeth. "I'm asking you this because I know you understand. I need to break something." He looked at Dad.

Uncle Emmett gazed around the room. He snatched the first available thing, which was a vase on the ledge by the door.

"Put it down, Emmett," Grandma Esme said over her shoulder. "Carlisle gave that to me as an anniversary gift. There is no way that you're using it."

Uncle Emmett set the vase back down, temporarily disappointed. "It would have made a great boom." He recovered quickly, a huge grin spreading over his face, as unaffected by the solemnity of the mood as always. "I'll find you a tree."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

I decided to leave them to their destruction and wandered into the living room. The family surrounded Ian, Tara and Emily. All had intense expressions.

"What happened?" Grandpa Carlisle asked kindly.

Emily took a deep breath. "The Volturi found us."

My heart froze in my chest. How was that possible? How had they found them so quickly? Had we led the Volturi straight to them?

"Two of them just appeared in the house. They said they were going to take us back to Italy to stand trial before Marcus, Aro and Caius."

"I had to kill them," Ian said softly, his eyes locked on Tara and Emily. "I couldn't let that happen."

A slow, sinking dread filled me. This was the end. They'd killed two of the Volturi, and now they would exact their revenge. There would be no excusing what had happened. They would destroy the Winter coven, and as soon as they learned that we'd befriended them, we'd be next. I looked around at my family. I was suddenly aware of just how little time I'd had with them. The dread was replaced with a horrible, heart-wrenching grief. We were supposed to have eternity together. Now we would be lucky if we had another week.

And Jacob. My Jacob.

A sharp pang of excruciating pain stabbed my heart. He would die because of me. If I hadn't been so selfish, he wouldn't have felt the need to stay. I'd never told him to stay in as many words, but I'd made my feelings on the matter clear. I suddenly loathed my existence.

Grandpa Carlisle gave a heavy sigh. "Well. How do we proceed?"

"I will stay," Emily said firmly. "Tara was never involved with our father's…work, nor were Rob or Ian. The rest of you should leave, while you still can."

"No, you will not stay," Ian said brusquely. It didn't seem like the first time they'd had the conversation.

She unleashed her hair-raising glare on him. "I'm not asking for your permission, Ian." She was quiet again and looked at us. "I'm so sorry," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

"Why?" asked Mom. "It's not your fault." She hadn't yet come to the realization I had.

"We should have told you to stay away," she continued, her eyes now fixed on the floor. "We should have kept our distance."

"Why?" Mom asked again.

"Because they'll kill you now, too," Ian said finally.

Mom and Dad looked at each other and then at me instinctively. Fear began to seep into their honey-coloured eyes.

"We need to know everything about you that we can," said Grandpa Carlisle. "To your knowledge, it's just the two of you, correct?"

Tara nodded. Emily was motionless.

Grandpa Carlisle hesitated. "Emily?"

She took a deep breath. "Including us, there are eight that I know of, but there will be more by now."

Jaws unanimously hit the floor.

"_Eight_?" I croaked. I had thought two others were impossible, let alone _eight_.

Tara stared at her sister in shock. "What are you talking about?" she demanded, her musical voice strained.

I still couldn't believe that any of this was real. The past hour had changed everything that I'd thought I'd known. I waited for Emily to answer. There must have been an explanation for this.

"Emily, answer me!" she snapped.

Emily looked at her sister, the agony on her face nearly bringing tears to my eyes. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you.""

You're lying," Tara insisted, her voice cold. "How could there be eight others? I would have known."

Grandpa Carlisle looked at Emily. "We need you to tell us everything."

She took a shuddering breath and turned away. "I'm the oldest of my family, but I am not the oldest of my kind. I was born near what is now Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, as I told you before, in 1711."

My eyes widened. This had been going on for _three hundred years_?

"I spent the first four years of my life there. My father then took me south, to the Amazon, where we lived with Joham. He had two daughters then, named Zaniyah and Citalli, with whom I became quite close. But from the day we arrived, they all drilled their half-breed superiority nonsense into my head.

"We left in the 1740's to live in Ireland. There we met–" She swallowed and edited that section of the story. "Uh…others of my father's kind. And after a few years, we went to England and did our best to join mainstream society. It made it easier for him to access his future….prey. We spent most of our time in London. He liked big cities. He didn't have to be as careful. He could hunt and choose his next wife with far more ease."

I shuddered and glanced at Uncle Jasper. William Taylor's mentality reminded me of the strategy of those involved in the Southern Wars.

"Over the years, we traveled most of Europe," she continued. "My sister Georgina was born in 1800, the daughter of his wife of merely two months. I shared the task of raising her. That was part of my job." Her voice was sour. "In 1914, we left Europe to escape The Great War. We came back to Canada and briefly settled in the Maritimes. My sister Catherine was born in Halifax in 1917, and then Juliet in 1939. He chose their mothers as Joham did: based on their beauty." She glanced at Tara, who was trembling as she stared at her. "Tara was the only one I ever bonded with, the only one I ever really loved." She closed her tortured blue eyes. "I did anything and everything he told me to almost entirely without question, from hiding bodies to raising the children. It was all I had ever known. He had truly convinced me that half-breeds were the _ideal_ _race_," she spat the last two words with disdain.

I was too frozen to even think. This wasn't possible. Emily couldn't have done any of that. She was so kind! This was some kind of trick, to try to make us want her gone so we would be safe. It made more sense than this.

"Stop it," Tara hissed.

"I didn't want you to hate me as they did," she said pleadingly. "I didn't want you to see me for the monster I am."

"I said stop!" She flew to her feet.

"No," Emily said. "You need to know this. I should have told you this long ago."

Tara shook her head frantically as Emily continued. "Things changed when Lillian, Tara's mother, died. She was the only mother figure I've ever known. I began to doubt that we could really be such fantastic creatures if the cost of our existence was a life such as Lillian's.

"My father became different as well. He didn't quite seem to believe in his 'mission' as earnestly as he had before. He was exceptionally uninvolved with Tara. He had always been fine with daughters, but he desperately wanted a son. He was…disappointed. This had begun to seriously bother me.

"It was around this time that your friends Kate and Irina came. They told me about Carlisle and how he had found a way to survive without taking human life, which had become a concern of mine. If their timing had been even slightly different, I don't know that we would be here today. But within four hours, they had made me begin to realize that I had spent two hundred and thirty-nine years living a lie. For a month afterward I tried to continue life as it had been. I knew that everything I had been told was wrong, but I didn't want to uproot Tara. She was only two at the time." She glanced at her sister and swallowed. "One day he came to the house with a new woman. That was the last that I could take. We left the next day. I haven't seen him since."

"Where are they, then? Where are the others?" Tara demanded suddenly.

"They stayed in Quebec to wait for us. We were due to return in 1960. He decided that it would look too suspicious if he went into Yellowknife with four women, so he chose only me to go with him. I pretended to be his sister."

Tara stumbled back, as though someone had struck her. Her wide eyes were filled with unspeakable horror. "Did you help him choose my mother, too?"

Emily bowed her head.

Tara's voice shot up an octave. "Did you hide her body?"

Emily didn't move.

"No," was all Tara said. "No."

Emily stood as well. "Do you still want me to stay?"

I was speechless. I glanced around the room, noticing only now that Rob, Dad and Uncle Emmett had returned.

Emily looked at her sister for a moment. "Now you know," she said and then promptly left the room.

The silence that followed was by far the worst thing I'd ever heard in my life. Tara was still staring at the spot where her sister had been. Ian was watching her worriedly, as was Rob.

"Well," said Uncle Emmett. "That was a biggie."

Mom smacked his head with a glare. "Nice, Emmett. Really nice."

"Ow!" he said. "What was that for?"

Everyone that wasn't frozen rolled their eyes. Leave it to Uncle Emmett to wreck the mood.

Uncle Jasper and Aunt Alice rose. "We'll talk to her," Uncle Jasper suggested.

Rob growled, turning on Uncle Jasper. "No you will _not_. You will not go anywhere _near_ her."

Uncle Jasper met his eyes. "I believe that I understand how she feels, Rob."

"I doubt that," snapped Rob. "A cold-blooded killer like you couldn't possibly understand her."

I felt my teeth bar involuntarily.

"Rob," Ian said firmly, stepping between my uncle, who bore his now-familiar guilty expression and Rob.

"What?" snapped Rob.

"Stop. He's not the enemy."

"And who is, Ian? Emily?"

I was starting to like Rob less and less.

"Of course not," Ian said evenly. "But this isn't going to help her. Has she told you that she's planning to give herself up to the Volturi? Or are you too focused on Jasper?"

Rob froze abruptly. I looked away. I couldn't bear to see such heart-wrenching torment, not even on Rob's face. He vanished from the room without another word. I tried to put it in perspective, to imagine that someone had just told me that Jacob…

I stopped the thought in its tracks. Jacob would never do that. Jacob was perfect.

Uncle Jasper glanced at Grandpa Carlisle for permission to follow.

"I'll go with you," Grandpa Carlisle said.

"I'll go too," Dad offered.

Grandpa Carlisle nodded.

Tara slowly sank back down to her seat, her green eyes, which I noticed now, were much lighter than usual. They were closer to a jade colour.

"You will _not_ do this!" I heard Rob shouting from several rooms away. I felt bad for him, strangely enough.

Tara glanced up at the sound of Rob's voice. I had to look away again. The pain was too much to look at.

"Tara?" Grandma Esme said quietly.

Tara looked at her now, still silent.

"Is there anything I can do?"

Tara shook her head.

Ian wrapped his arm around her, stroking her arm. "I'm sorry for ruining your evening like this," he said, looking at Grandma Esme. "We didn't know where else to go." He looked at his mate for a moment. "I'm not sure where we'll go now. Rob doesn't think our home is safe any longer."

"You'll stay with us," she said resolutely. "We have more than enough room for all of you."

"No," Tara said quietly. "We couldn't impose on you."

"You'd be no imposition. We have more space than we know what do with," Grandma Esme told her.

"We'd love to have you," I said at last, feeling like I ought to say something. After all, she was my friend.

Tara turned her sorrow-stricken eyes on me now. She forced a tiny smile. "That's very kind of you, Nessie."

I cursed the blush that rose in my face. But at the same time, it was good to know that my heart was still beating enough to circulate blood.

"Thank you very much for your offer," Ian said. "That's very generous."

"Not at all," Grandma Esme said.

Tara spoke again. "We ought to ask Rob."

"Of course," Grandma Esme said.

Jacob shuffled into the room. "Hey guys," he said.

I felt a rush of joy upon seeing him. Before I could even think about what I was doing, I rushed over and threw my arms around him. "I'm so glad you're back," I said.

Jacob tensed up for a moment; I'd taken him by surprise. He chuckled and wrapped his arms around me as well.

Uncle Emmett whistled from behind us. I heard Mom's hand connect with his rock-hard skull for the second time.

I released him after a moment, ignoring my uncle, and was content merely to have his arm around me.

"So I uh…overheard, and uh…well, the pack's standing by. Leah especially has been itching to rip up some leeches lately." Jacob gave us a tentative grin.

Aunt Rose made a disgusted noise.

"So they're all set, just in case we get the occasion."

"Thank you, Jacob," said Grandpa Carlisle, appearing in the doorway. "But I don't that occasion will arise."

Jacob shrugged. "Seth's going to try to talk to Sam, too, see if he'll get their pack up here."

"I've always wanted to wrench Demetri's head off," Uncle Emmett said.

"Naw, it'd be over too fast that way," Jacob said. "I'd start with his arms. But I wouldn't mind punching that Jane-kid in the face, too."

Mom rolled her eyes. Uncle Emmett shifted away from her, just in case she was planning to smack him again.

"We've decided to stay here," Rob said tersely. "_All_ of us." He shot Emily a glare. She was staring at the floor, still radiating morose self-hatred.

"We are going to continue as usual," Grandpa Carlisle said. "If the Volturi decide to come…well, we'll deal with that if and when it occurs." His voice faltered on the word "if". He knew they were coming. We all knew. It was only a matter of time.

"Rob, Esme has kindly offered to let us stay with them," Ian informed him.

Rob glanced at her, his expression softening. "That would be wonderful. Thank you."

"Excellent," Grandpa Carlisle said. "We'll make up some rooms for you."

Aunt Rose, Mom and Grandma Esme all left to do exactly that. Uncle Emmett and Jacob left the room, still arguing about who they'd kill first, Jane or Demetri. Aunt was muttering about accessories for the rooms as she took her leave. Dad, Uncle Jasper and Grandpa Carlisle all left to prepare some food for the Winter sisters, Jacob and me.

Tara looked up finally, her green eyes resting on her sister. I suddenly felt out of place. I fled the room quickly.

"You told him, didn't you," I somewhat accidentally overheard Tara say to Emily.

"Yes, she told me," Rob replied.

"When?"

Silence.

"_When_?"

"Forty-two years ago."

"So you could tell him but not me?"

"It wasn't like that, T," Emily said quietly. "But if you want me to leave, just tell me."

"No," Tara said after a moment, her voice thick with emotion. "I don't care who you've been. I don't care what you've done. The past is over. You still risked everything so we could have a better life, away from Father, so don't you ever, _ever_ leave me."

I felt tears prick my eyes. When I looked back at them over my shoulder, the two were embracing. I suddenly wished for a sister.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"No, Alice! No shopping trip!"

I sighed as we entered the second hour of the argument. Aunt Alice wanted to plan a shopping trip for Saturday morning. She'd had a vision of Jeff inviting us (well, inviting _Tara_, to be more specific) to a hockey game on Saturday afternoon, and Emily desperately wanted to go, to Tara's horror. It had been almost three weeks since they'd come to live with us, and she was beginning to return to her normal self, but she was still quieter than usual, more serious. However, today was one of her good days.

She and Rob fought constantly. The tiniest thing would set Rob off on her. He was still stewing over the fact that she had planned to give herself up to the Volturi.

"I thought you loved me, Bella!" Aunt Alice said.

"Don't even try that one on me!" Mom said shortly.

"Come on, Bella," Emily said. "It'll be fun. Besides, this way we might actually be able to keep Ian from being charged with murder."

"Ian wouldn't kill Jeff," she scoffed.

Emily chuckled. "You don't know Ian."

"What's so bad about a hockey game?" Mom asked.

Aunt Alice and Emily rolled their eyes in perfect unison.

"Come on, Mom, just go so they'll stop talking about it," I muttered darkly. I was getting tired of this conversation.

"Thank you, I think," Aunt Alice said, raising an eyebrow.

"But a _shopping_ trip?" Mom said with disgust. "Is there nothing else we could do?"

"What else are we going to do, Bella? Bake cookies?" asked Aunt Alice sarcastically.

"Sounds good to me!" added Jacob, who was stuffing his face in the corner. To my shock, Aunt Rose made no comment.

"Baking cookies would be less torturous," Mom complained.

"Well you'd better get used to this, because I have the rest of eternity to convert you," Aunt Alice said with a diabolical grin.

Mom growled and ferociously stabbed the raw steak she was dicing for the steak salad she was making Jacob and me for dinner.

"Yes! Thank you, Bella," Aunt Alice said. She and Emily promptly tangoed around the kitchen in celebration.

The shopping trip passed quickly, luckily for me. However, Emily had decided to torture Tara anyway and planned to tell Jeff that we would be attending the hockey game. We arrived at school on Friday morning early. Jacob was skipping today, as the pack had come up the previous night, which had taken the lustre from my day. I glanced at Tara and Ian as Jeff began to saunter across the parking lot in their direction. Tara was blushing already. Ian looked ready to kill something…more specifically, some_one_. Someone named Jeff. I looked at Emily and Rob now, who were beside him. They kept a distance between them, each completely ignoring the other's existence. Apparently they were currently in one of their arguments. Lovely. That would make for a pleasant day.

"A little pessimistic today, are we?" Dad asked me.

I smiled sarcastically. Jeff reached us before I could make the snappy reply I'd been planning. Not that it mattered, though. He'd hear it whether I verbalized it or not. "Hey, guys. Hey, Tara."

Ian stiffened instantly. He wrapped a protective arm around Tara. Jeff seemed to take no notice. This human just couldn't take the hint, and judging by the look Ian's face, he was ready to give him more than a hint.

"So, uh, look, I was wondering…there's a hockey game…this Saturday, down at Thomson's Rink, and I was thinking maybe we could…go?" His voice cracked on the last word.

"Tara will not be–" Ian started to say.

Tara cut him off. "That would be lovely. But I'd like my friends to come as well."

I winced, waiting for the blood to start flying. When I opened my eyes again, Jeff was still standing there, alive and completely unharmed, and actually seemed to have brightened. The idiot was probably proud of himself for getting her talk. "Sure," he said, glancing at the rest of us. "See you then."

Uncle Jasper and Rob both had to grab Ian to keep him from lunging at Jeff as he turned and walked away.

"Easy, Ian," Rob said.

"Yes, it would be _very_ easy," Ian growled, struggling against their hold on him.

"Stop," Rob commanded as both he and Uncle Jasper pulled him back.

I stared at Uncle Jasper and Rob for a moment, wondering if they'd realized yet that they had actually just helped each other. I looked around to see if anyone else had realized it. Aunt Alice bore a similar expression to the way I imagined mine was right about then.

Rob seemed to notice this about the same time we did. He cleared his throat and moved away from Ian. "We should get to class."

I watched him leave with mild surprise. I had expected at least a snarl.

* * *

"I told you this was a bad idea," Mom hissed as we arrived at the outdoor rink the following day. "What if it gets sunny?"

"You sound like Dad," I told her under my breath.

"It's not going to get sunny," Aunt Alice said, rolling her eyes. "And thank you for your faith in me."

"Are you sure you guys don't want to play?" I asked Seth, Quil and Embry. They'd come with Jacob in his car, although they'd vowed that they would only be spectators. Leah had refused to come at all.

"Definitely," Embry said.

"Don't worry about us, Ness," Seth said, winking at me.

"Besides, we have to try to make it an even game for the vamps," Quil grinned. "We'd hate to embarrass them in front of a bunch of humans."

I chuckled. "Suit yourselves." I glanced at Jacob. "Shall we?"

"Let's do this," he nodded.

"Hey! You made it!" Jeff grinned. I heard Ian growling softly.

"Yeah," Tara said shyly.

"Well, lace up, and then we'll pick teams."

Mom handed me my skates. "Do you want me to tie yours?"

I gave her a look. "Bella, I'm not three."

"That's right. You're six."

I glared at her. "Seriously, Bella. I'm not a kid." I watched as the humans laced their skates and tried to emulate it. It was easier than I'd expected, given the intricacy of the laces.

Mom and Dad took positions on either side of me as soon as I was on the ice.

"Oh come _on_, you two!" I began to move backwards when I slammed into someone else. I whirled around to see Aunt Rose gliding along behind me, waiting to catch me with open arms. Now I was really annoyed. "I'm not a child, people. I don't need escorts." I skated past them to prove my point. I flew around the ice with ease, garnering the jealous glares of some girls I recognized from my classes. The guys had stopped dead and were gaping. It was only when I looked to my right that I saw what they were really glaring at.

Emily and Tara were completing simultaneous triple axels in perfect synchronization. They both landed at exactly the same time, and proceeded to weave with more grace than I'd ever seen in my life between the other skaters on the ice.

I watched in utter awe as Tara circled back to Ian. He tossed Tara into the air easily. She did several complete rotations before dropping back down into his waiting arms, and then moved right into a side-by-side camel spin. They danced over the ice with a graceful elegance that would have made an Olympian jealous. Even for immortals, their poise was remarkable.

Emily and Rob, who had managed to overcome their current quarrel around lunchtime yesterday, were currently doing one-foot scratch spins.

"So," said Ian, skating up with a grin. It amazed me how much he had changed from the first time we'd met him. I remember that I'd been amazed the first time he'd spoken. I hadn't imagined that he knew how. "Are you ready to try to beat some Canadians at their own sport?"

"'Try' is the key word," Emily grinned tauntingly, sliding up alongside him. She stopped on the side of her skate blade, spraying us with a wide arc of snow that came off of the ice.

"We could take you any day, Winter," Uncle Emmett shot back, dusting himself off. Typical Uncle Emmett. I doubted that he'd skated in his entire vampire life, and he was already threatening two Canadian half-breeds that had probably had their entire lives to perfect their ice hockey skills.

"Let's see it," she said, whirling into another axel threateningly. I made a mental note to ask her to teach me how to do that.

"Now, now," said Ian with a teasing grin. "Let's not show off before they've even had a chance to play."

Emily glanced at him. "What, that? That was just a preview."

True to form, Jeff's first draft was Tara. The second draft for the opposite side was Emily, not surprisingly. How could anyone not choose them after a little warm-up session like theirs? By the end of the drafting, Tara, Aunt Rose, Dad, Jacob and I were all on Jeff's team along with three girls from our gym class, Melina, Christina and Jade, and three boys from the class, Carter, Landon and Will. On other side, the captain, Jana, clearly saw where the advantage lay. She'd drafted Rob, Uncle Jasper, Aunt Alice, Mom, Ian and Emily, with only three human players. The girls, Selene and Eva, were also from my gym class, and the lone human male was one of Jeff's friends, Patrick.

I glanced at Aunt Alice, who was already smirking. I wondered how many goals they were going to be leading by. Emily had briefed me on the rules of the game on the way to the rink. Mom had also required the tutorial, seeing as she had spent most of her life in Phoenix, Arizona, where you'd be hard-pressed to find ice at any time of the year.

We took offensive positions along the centre line as we waited for the puck to be dropped. "I wouldn't recommend that you check anyone," Tara cautioned as she coasted up alongside me. "They tend to notice that you're reminiscent of a brick wall."

I chuckled. "I'll bet."

The puck dropped, and everyone instantly burst into action. Clearly showing off for Tara, Jeff exploded down the rink with the puck. He turned to look at her over his shoulder when he slammed straight into Uncle Emmett. Uncle Emmett chuckled as Jeff fell back onto the ice, staring up at him in wonder. Now there, truly, was a brick wall.

Emily stole the puck from the dazed Jeff and shot it straight into our net. She did a celebratory figure eight as her team cheered.

The puck was dropped from the centre line. When it neared us again, I sprinted forward to meet it when I was blown aside by a speeding Rob. He shot the puck to Emily again. The two passed the puck between each other at a dizzying speed. Emily did a showy spin in between the defensemen, Will and Dad, and slap-shot it into the net for the second time. I wondered how long I would have to play to be able to move like that.

"Bloody Canadian vamps," muttered Jacob enviously.

I laughed again at the expression on his face.

"Actually, Rob's American," Tara informed us as we took our start positions. "Ian is too, if it's of any consolation."

"It's not," Jacob said. "It's really not."

Tara and I both laughed this time.

As soon as the puck was dropped for the third time, Jeff shot the puck straight to Tara. She passed it to me. My entire body tensed as I flew down the ice as best I could. But I still wasn't fast enough for Ian. He intercepted the puck as I tried desperately to pass it off to Jacob. He growled with fury and chased after Ian.

"Don't check him…don't check him…" I begged Jacob under my breath as I recalled Tara's words about being reminiscent of a brick wall. He'd just managed to get his last injury healed up…

Too late. Jacob threw himself at Ian from the side and reclaimed the puck before sprinting down the ice. I tried to keep up with his pace, in case he needed to pass off to someone. With a triumphant howl, he shot it straight into the net. Our team burst into cries of exultation.

Jacob grinned and wrapped an arm around my shoulders as we skated back to our side. "Come on. Did I do it or did I do it?"

"You did it," I giggled as me cheeks lit up like light bulbs. I hoped I would someday get better about not blushing every time he opened his mouth.

"Come on, mutt, anyone could've done that," Uncle Emmett said from behind us.

"Yeah, because you're such an expert," scoffed Jacob.

By the end of the game, Jana's team had defeated us fourteen to two, with the vampires – and half-vampire – making all fourteen of those goals. Jacob had a sprained wrist, which he reassured me would be healed by dinner, and Ian had a serious case of jealousy. I was amazed that Jeff had survived the game. Rob had had to pull him aside four times to keep him from tearing his throat out. He'd also had to ask Emily and Tara to tone their figure-skating tricks down, which had started a whole new argument between him and Emily.

"Walk it off, Ian," Rob hissed as he and Ian walked by. Well, Rob was walking, Ian was being dragged, snarling and growling. I glanced over my shoulder to see Jeff struggling to put an arm around Tara's shoulders, but she was several inches taller. I felt bad for the poor girl. She was completely mortified. Emily, who walked a few paces behind them, had a hand clapped over her mouth to muffle her laughter.

"What's the deal with that Jeff guy?" Jacob asked as we walked back to the car.

"I don't know," I replied. "But I think Ian's seriously going to kill him."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

A knock sounded on my door later that evening.

"Come in," I said, glancing up from my book.

Mom and Dad entered my room. As many times as I'd tried to remind them that I wasn't a child in need of being tucked in, they always insisted on it anyway.

"Just coming to say goodnight," Dad said, as he'd said every night since I could remember. He gave me the traditional hug before leaving the room. I frowned. That was not traditional. He usually waited until my mom had said her good nights, and then they would leave together. He and Mom exchanged a long glance before he shut the door behind him.

"Mom? What's going on?" I asked. My mind raced with possibilities that might explain an expression like the one she was wearing.

"I wanted to finish what I started telling you a few weeks ago," she said.

I bit my lip, recalling the conversation. "Okay."

She sighed and took a seat on my desk chair. I sank to the side of my bed without consciously choosing to.

"So…you remember telling me about Dad leaving for my safety?"

I nodded mutely.

"And you remember me telling you that that was when I became friends with Jacob?"

I nodded again.

"It was clear from the beginning that he always wanted more."

I stared blankly. That simply wasn't possible. Jacob? _My_ mother? "What?" I choked.

She bit her lip. "Let me explain."

I nodded again, anxious to understand. It couldn't be as bad as it sounded…could it? There had to be some reasonable, rational explanation for this…this…_insane_, outlandish idea. Jacob couldn't like my mom. Not _that_ way.

"We were friends for several months when your Aunt Alice showed up at my door one day, terrified because she thought I'd killed myself."

"She thought you'd _what_?" This story was getting crazier and crazier.

"She'd seen a vision of me jumping off a cliff, and then everything going black."

I stared at her. "You…you _jumped_ off a _cliff_? What would possess you to jump off a _cliff_?"

She smiled sheepishly. "Cliff-diving."

"Oh," I said understandingly, and then paused as she looked at me curiously. I pursed my lips and thought quickly. "Yeah, Quil and Embry have told me about it." Actually, they'd done a little more than that. They'd taken me cliff-diving twice while we'd lived in Washington.

She seemed unconvinced, but continued regardless. "Jacob and I had gotten into all kinds of crazy extreme sports. It was sort of a form of revenge. I had promised your dad to stay safe before he left, and I…wanted to break the promise."

I rolled my eyes. What a human.

She half-smiled. "I know. Anyway, I got a call one day. It turned out to be your dad, pretending to be Carlisle, asking for Charlie. He was at Harry Clearwater's funeral at the time, so when he heard that he was at a funeral. Aunt Rose told your dad, who–"

I suddenly gasped in horror. "Dad assumed it was yours."

She nodded sadly.

I hated to imagine the pain that would cause him. The image of Rob's face upon hearing that Emily had planned to kill herself flashed into my mind, followed by an image of that pain on my father's face.... I banished it instantly. It was too horrible, too painful to imagine. I suddenly wanted to hug him again.

Mom paused. It was clear that it pained her to talk about it. "He flew to Volterra."

I gasped again, a hand flying to my throat. "No…he _wouldn't_." He _would_.

"When we got back…well, there was a lot of tension between Jacob and your dad." That explained a lot. "Jacob realized before I did."

"Realized what?"

She bit her lip again. "That we were in love."

I couldn't breathe. It took me several minutes to be able to think enough to speak. "Y-You were in…_what_?" The last word came out as a screech.

Mom cringed.

I jumped to my feet, suddenly frantic. I had to have heard wrong. That was impossible. "What did you just say?"

"Jacob and I were in love."

This was all wrong. Things like that just didn't happen. I'd always known that Mom and Jacob had had some kind of bond, but it couldn't be _that_. She had to be lying. That was completely impossible. No. I refused to accept this. "You say that you and Jacob were in love…so…he loved you too?"

She nodded.

I got to my feet and left the room. I needed air. This was too much. It was too impossible.

"Nessie!"

I whirled around at the sound of Jacob's voice, suddenly furious. My vision began to go red. I drew my hand back and slapped him hard across the face.

The shock was instantaneous. The look on his face would have crushed me if it weren't for my all-consuming rage. The skin on my palm tingled with the impact. I couldn't believe that I had actually just hit my Jacob!

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tara, who was washing the dishes with Grandma Esme, drop a glass in shock. It shattered on the floor, punctuating the intensely awkward silence.

"_Nessie_!" It was Dad's voice this time. He was just as floored as I was. He didn't need to ask what was wrong; the conversation was playing through my head, as though some sadist had stuck it on repeat.

"So, you thought you'd just bide your time with me to get back to my _mother_?" I screamed at Jacob, rediscovering my rage. "Was I the ticket? Is she why you came with us?"

"This is my cue," Leah murmured from the living room, vanishing from the room.

"Right behind you," Embry said, following quickly. Seth and Quil trailed after him.

"No, Nessie," Jacob said, his voice soft and pained. "I–"

"Just shut up!" And then I was running. I heard my family calling out to me, but none of it mattered. I just needed to get away.

I was barely a half a mile into the forest when I stopped, unable go any further. Not from exhaustion, of course; I could have run all night without tiring, but I was too upset to keep going, and far too angry to go back. I stumbled to a fallen log and sat down, wrapping my arms tight around my stomach as pain burned furiously through every cell in my body. I wasn't sure how long I sat there for. I was only aware of two things: the tremendous pain that tore through me, and that Jacob Black, my Jacob, did not, had not and never would love me.

When I returned home, I was grateful to find that my family had scattered to different parts of the house. I couldn't bear to have them there, not just then. Well, all of the family except for Jacob. He sat dejectedly on the stairs, his shoulders hunched. I felt a twinge of guilt at causing him such pain. _No_, I told myself firmly as I fought the urge to run to him. _He's at fault here._

He looked up when the door closed. "Nessie," he said with relief that sent another wave of tears cascading down my cheeks.

Being alone with Jacob now felt very different from the way it had before. I was almost afraid, but mostly angry.

"Nessie…"

"No!" I said, stopping him before he could try to explain. "Whatever it is, I don't want to hear it."

"You need to hear it."

I laughed a cruel, bitter laugh. "Oh. Let me guess. You've got a marvellous explanation. Wait, no! I've got it! You're going to say, 'I didn't mean, to, Nessie, it was an accident!'." I said, trying to imitate his voice.

He lowered his eyes.

"So what was your plan, then?" I said, my voice raising a pitch.

"There was no plan! I–"

"Convince her that if you were good enough for me, you were good enough for her?"

"No! I–"

"Settle for the daughter if you can't get the mother?

"That's enough!" he snapped suddenly. "I did not _settle_ for you, Renesmee Cullen. I did not use you to get _Bella_. I'm not in love with _Bella_. I did not leave my family in La Push to come live in a house full of reeking vamps for _Bella_. I did all that for _you_."

I snorted. "Right. Like I'm supposed to believe that."

"Did you even let Bella get far enough to tell you that I imprinted on you the first time I saw you?"

I faltered. I would have been flattered and jubilant at this moment in any other circumstance. But this wasn't any other circumstance.

"That's right, Nessie, _you_. Not Bella. It was always about you."

That couldn't be true. That made too much sense. I was too far-gone in my grief and self-pity to allow such a rational explanation.

"Why do you keep lying to me?" I demanded, taking a step forward furiously. "Don't you think you've done enough?"

He threw his hands up in defeat. "You are completely beyond reason!"

"I'm beyond reason?" I snarled. "You are shameless, Jacob!" I flew up the stairs to my room. As soon as I had slammed the door behind me, I threw myself down on my bed. If I never saw his face again, it would be too soon.

And _her_.

She'd known all along! She'd let me fall head over heels for Jacob, even defended me to Dad, and hadn't even bothered to warn me about where his feelings really were. But I couldn't hate her, not my mother. I loved her far too much for that. She'd given up her human life for me. She'd been ready to die for me. I was angry and disappointed, but I couldn't hate her, not the way I hated Jacob right now. It went against all my instincts to hate Jacob, my previously-perfect Jacob, but I had managed to do it.

I groaned and rolled over, trying to bury the pain. I searched for somewhere to put it, to keep it at bay to deal with at another time. Anything to fall asleep, to break from this horrible reality.

I looked at the wolf pendant Jacob had given me for my fourth birthday sitting on my nightstand. I picked it up and studied it. A part of me to crush it, to throw it away and forget that he had ever lived, but the rest of me needed it. I needed it to remember the way things had been, to remember when there weren't confusing emotions ruining everything, when there wasn't imprinting or almost-kisses or lost love.

Why did things have to change?

* * *

Sunday passed utterly uneventfully. Dad and the pack kept Jacob from the house for the whole day, and Aunt Rose found ways to entertain me to keep my mind off of him.

I didn't sleep well that night. When I did finally fall asleep, it was early Monday morning. Mom woke me for school, as she would have any other morning, but she was hesitant this morning. I couldn't stay angry at her, but Jacob on the other hand…

"Hey there, Nessie," Emily said with a smile as I entered the kitchen. She stood by the breakfast bar, drinking her morning cup of coffee. I saw the worry in her eyes. "Are you…are you okay?"

"Perfect," I lied unconvincingly.

"'Morning," Rob half-growled. I looked at him in surprise, curious as to where the tone was coming from. He threw the fridge door open and retrieved one of the packages of blood that we kept chilled in a separate compartment. Grandpa Carlisle had brought supplies home from the hospital. He didn't think it would be a good idea for the Winters to hunt with the possibility of the Volturi coming at any time. Aunt Alice hadn't seen anything yet, but they had found loopholes in her powers long ago, so nothing was ever certain.

Emily rolled her eyes. "At least get a cup for that."

He lowered the packet and glared at her venomously. "Are you going to decide how I'm going to drink now, too?"

"Why must you insist on being so ridiculous about everything?" she asked, slamming her mug down on the granite counter top, her blue eyes sparking with irritation.

"_I'm_ ridiculous about everything? _I'm_ not the one–"

"WILL YOU TWO PLEASE SHUT UP?!"

It was only when they both looked at me in shock that I realized that the outburst had come from me. I looked around the kitchen. Aunt Rose had frozen in mid-pancake flip, Tara was gaping at me, her cereal spoon stopped half way between her mouth and the bowl, and Ian had come to a standstill in the middle of the room.

"S-Sorry," Emily stuttered. "I didn't mean–"

"No, don't apologize," I growled. "I don't know why I said that." I hurried out of the room before I could do anything else.

Great. Now I was snapping at my friends.

* * *

"All right, extremely tall boy–" said Mr. Wilkes, gesturing to Jacob, "And Nessie, you take that far right side and…Melina and Alice, you go with them."

I took my position stiffly, snatching the volleyball Jacob had retrieved for our group and prepared to serve. The sophomore and junior fourth-period gym classes had been combined for today, as the junior teacher was out with a sprained neck.

"Now I don't want to see any more palm-slaps," Mr. Wilkes said from the front of the room. "Palm-slap the ball, and I'll palm-slap you, got it? All right, let's go."

"Hey Jacob," said Melina in a sickeningly flirtatious voice.

Jacob glanced at her briefly. "Hi."

"So…you looked pretty good at the game on Saturday."

I was about to spring at her and tear her throat out when Aunt Alice gave me a deadly glance. "Take a breath and calm down," she said, her tone gentle but firm. "We don't want to make a spectacle." Melina seemed to take no notice.

I grit my teeth and forced myself to stop imagining ripping her apart limb by limb. I bumped the ball to her extreme left and watched with satisfaction as she dove in an attempt to volley it back, and failed. A small, smug smile turned up the corners of my lips.

Jacob snorted. "Nice shot," he murmured.

I ignored him.

"Nessie?"

I rolled my eyes as Jacob's voice came from the other side of the door. He opened it before I could say anything. "Nessie, can we talk?"

My teeth clenched instinctively. "Get out of my room, Jacob."

"Can I just explain?"

"Explain what?"

"Yesterday."

"What more could you possibly have to say to me?"

He sighed. "Nessie…please try to understand…"  
"Understand what? How you used me? I got that part, Jacob. Believe it or not, I'm not completely dense. Now get out. I have better things to do than listen to your pitiful excuses and your lies."

He sighed. "Can we please just discuss this?"

My anger took over. Papers flew into the air as I jumped to my feet. "Get out, you stupid mongrel!" I shouted, not caring how cruel I sounded. "Aunt Rose was right all along, you're just a brainless mutt! I never should have let you get to me! Go back to La Push! I never want to see your face again, do you understand me? I _hate_ you! You are a waste of my time, Jacob Black."

The pain on his face stole my breath away. I felt the pieces of my already-broken heart shatter. It took all the restraint I had not to fall to my knees and weep, but my anger was stronger.

"Please don't ask me to do that, Nessie. Please," he said in a soft, agonized voice.

"_LEAVE_!" I screamed in rage, hurling the closest thing to me, a glass candle holder, at him.

He side-stepped quickly. The candle-holder slammed into the wall, indenting it and shattering into a thousand tiny pieces. He looked at me for a moment, a tear rolling down his cheek, and then left without another word.

I took absolutely still for a few seconds, still not entirely able to comprehend what I'd just done, and then slammed the door shut. I glanced at the clock. It was already eleven-thirty. I threw back my covers and climbed in after dressing in my pyjamas and brushing my teeth. I needed desperately for this day to end.

I woke up the following morning in a far pleasanter state of mind, despite the fact that I'd had barely over half an hour's worth of sleep. I'd been a complete idiot the other night, and I realized it now. I'd been unfair to him. If I couldn't punish my mother for falling in love with Jacob, how could I punish Jacob for falling in love with my mother?

I performed my morning routine quickly and raced down the stairs. I had to find him. I had to tell him that I had been wrong about everything, and that I loved him. I skidded to a stop as I passed the living room. Everyone was sitting stiffly, their eyes following me. Panic began to set in as I registered the looks on their faces. Was this about the Volturi? Had they decided to come for us?

"Good morning, Nessie," said Grandpa Carlisle in a subdued, slightly sympathetic tone. "Did you sleep well?"

I glanced around suspiciously. "Y-Yeah, pretty well, thanks. Um, have any of you seen Jake this morning? I really need to talk to him."

Dad rose, his eyes mournful. "Nessie…Jacob's not here."

I paused. "Why? Is he hunting or something? I can wait."

"No, he's not hunting," Dad said. "Nessie, you told him to leave."  
"What, that? I was just mad," I said dismissively. Jacob knew that. He knew me better than I knew me half the time.

"He…left last night. As soon as he left your room, he packed his things and left. The pack went with him, of course."

I stared at him. "What do you mean, 'left'?"

"He returned to La Push with no intention of coming back."  
Dad and his stupid jokes. "Come on, Dad. I know you and Jacob don't get along all the time, but that's not funny."

His eyes tightened. "I wish I were joking, Nessie."

He was serious? How could he be serious? Jacob wouldn't do that. Jacob knew when I was just being stupid and when I was being serious. I stood absolutely still for a moment, not even daring to breathe.

"He didn't want you to make you unhappy."

This was too horrible to be real. Jacob, my Jacob…gone? The idea was so foreign. My Jacob had always been there, from the time I'd been a child, always. He wouldn't leave now, not just because I'd said something angrily. After everything we'd been through together, he wouldn't go after something stupid like that, would he?

"Nessie?"

Of course he would. He'd thought I'd meant what I'd said last night in my foolish, childish anger, and he would never make me unhappy intentionally.

"Nessie, breathe!"

The weight of what I had done threatened to choke the life out of me as I fled for the door. I had to run. I had to go after him. I had to tell him I'd been wrong. I'd been stupid about everything. So what if he'd loved Mom once upon a time? She'd chosen Dad. What difference did it make now? He would never try to steal her away from Dad, especially not now that she was a vampire. Had my anger really blinded me so much that I hadn't been able to see something so blatantly obvious?

Apparently it had.

The place where my heart should have been was on fire. Finding out about Jacob and my mother had been heartbreaking. Shouting at Jacob had been painful. His pain had been more agonizing still. But this? This was unbearable. A horrible, searing, unquenchable, stomach-wrenching, skull-splitting torture filled my senses.

"Re-Renesmee!"

I was sinking, falling slowly into blackness. I reached out for something, anything, that would slow my fall. My hands closed around air.

"_Nessie_!"

And then it was silent.

When I opened my eyes, Dad was glaring down at me. "Don't you ever do that again." I blinked several times and tried to sit up. Dad pushed me back down. "Don't even think about it."

"What happened?"

"You passed out," he informed me tersely. "You didn't eat at all yesterday and you've barely been sleeping. Don't think we don't notice," he said, taking in the surprise on my face. "You need to take care of yourself, Nessie."

I turned my head to see Mom, Grandma Esme, Aunt Rose and Aunt Alice standing over me as well. Uncle Jasper, Uncle Emmett, Emily, Ian, Rob and Tara were standing towards the door. This was _not_ what I needed right now.

"Serves you right," Dad said in response to my thought. "You terrified us."

"No, she's right," Mom said. I only noticed now that she was holding my hand. "She needs some space, everyone," she said over her shoulder.

I flew to my feet suddenly. I needed to be _alone_. I didn't need my family hanging over me.

"Where are you going?" Dad asked. His tone wasn't angry, as I'd expected it would be, but fearful.

"To my room." I closed the door to my room behind me. I stood in front of the door for a long time, the pain locking my joints.

Day lapsed into night. I was barely aware of the change. It didn't matter what time it was. His absence was like a horrible weight that I was unable to escape, threatening to sink me into oblivion. I was barely aware of anything else. I heard Mom and Dad speaking in low, concerned tones several times throughout the day, but I couldn't seem to bring myself to care what they were talking about. Emily and Rob were shouting at each other now, probably clashing about some mundane, irrelevant detail.

I finally wandered my way over to the wide window overlooking the sprawling yard behind the house and the forest bordering the property. I remembered hunting in the woods with Jacob. Our walks together. Our almost-kiss. Our hunting expeditions. I opened the window and leaned against the sill, inhaling the cool night air. The cold air travelling through my lungs was a welcomed relief in comparison to the constant burn radiating from the hole located at the centre of my chest.

I glanced down the four-storey drop and briefly considered jumping. I doubted that it'd kill me, but it'd provide me with an escape from all of these _people _constantly hovering over me.

"I brought you some dinner."

I turned around. Aunt Rose stood at the door, a plate overflowing with food on it. "I made your favourites."

My stomach clenched. I was starving. I couldn't remember the last time I'd eaten, but those were his favourites, too.

"Nessie?" He'd come up with that name.

The pain intensified. I sank down into the chair beside my desk.

Mom bit her lip. "Nessie, what's wrong?"

I frowned slightly. Wasn't it incredibly obvious?

Dad and Aunt Alice appeared now. Great. Just what I needed: more people.

"Don't you ever think about jumping again," he said firmly.

Mom looked at him briefly, confused.

"That window is not there for you to do stupid things like that. If you ever think about that again, I will have every window in this house barred."

_Could he even find enough bars to cover all the windows we have_? I thought randomly.

"Try me," he hissed. He glanced at Mom now, who was staring at me with horror.

"Are you…are you really thinking about killing yourself?" she asked in a broken whisper. I heard hisses of horror coming from downstairs as soon as she said it. "Answer me, please," Mom said.

I looked at her again. "No, I'm not." I sighed and looked away. "You don't understand," I muttered.

"I think I do."

"How could you possibly understand?"

She bit her lip and cautioned a very quick glance at Dad, almost too quick to notice. Oh right. That.

Dad looked away, his face suddenly agonized. Apparently he'd noticed.

I glanced at Aunt Alice. Her eyes had become distant with a memory. Dad was wincing with each memory.

"Nessie, he just wanted to make you happy. It's not worth ending your life," she told me.

Logic had no bearing with me. Logic didn't dull the pain clawing up my insides. He should have known that the only way I could be happy, ever, was if he was with me. He was a part of me, as much as my family was. More. He was the other half of my heart. The one side could not exist unless the other was there. My family was part of my half, but it was still useless without him. He was what I needed, more than anything.

I saw Dad becoming more and more distressed with each new thought. I tried to stop thinking about the pain for his sake. _Please, Dad, I just need to be alone._

His expression hardened into a mild glare. "Promise me you won't jump out of any windows. Promise me."

I sighed heavily. If it would buy their absence, then yes.

"Thank you," he said. "And promise me that you aren't planning anything equally stupid."

I nodded.

"Good."

"Dad?"

He turned back.

I chewed on my lip. "Can't we go after him? It was all a misunderstanding. I just want him back."

Mom sighed. "Nessie, I think between the two of us, we've put him through enough."

I looked at her now. "What do you mean, 'between the two of us'?"

It was her turn to bite her lip. "I've hurt him, too; very deeply, and more times than I care to count. And now this…I don't think it'd be very fair to him to ask to him to come back now. I think you should give him some time. I don't think you quite understand how deeply you hurt him, Nessie. He only wanted to explain. You could have at least let him do that much. You're my daughter, and I love you, but you had no right to treat him like that, hon."

I closed my eyes and tucked my knees up to my chest, laying my forehead against them. "I know," I whispered.

"Let's go," Dad said quietly after a moment. He and my mother and my aunts left.

The silence that was left in their wake was both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, I could finally wallow. On the other, the pain seemed to intensify. I felt my nails digging into my palms as I clenched my fists, but it was almost a relief in comparison with the raging, screaming anguish that blazed inside me like an insatiable flame. I had never been in this much pain, not when I'd thought that I would never see my mother and father again on that horrible, snowy day in the meadow so long ago, or that even more horrific day not so long ago when I'd sent my Jacob away.

I stared at the ceiling blankly. I wasn't sure how long I'd stared for when my eyes finally began to drift shut.

_I was lying in a gorgeous green meadow. The sun shone clear and beautiful above me, the perfect aqua sky completely cloudless. That was definitely rare for Forks, Washington. My skin glistened faintly in the warm golden rays._

_I sat up slowly, basking in the sunlight. It was both pleasing and strange. I'd not seen much of the sun in my life thus far. I saw now that the meadow was surrounded by trees. The emerald green grass was dotted with bursts of colour, provided by sporadic flowers. Even they seemed to be enjoying this rare glimpse of heaven. They seemed to have opened their petals wider, to soak in as much nutrition as they could before the clouds closed in again and stole the sun away._

_It was completely and utterly perfect._

_My keen ears caught the sound of laughter rolling towards me from the western side of the meadow. I stood slowly. I knew that laugh. I'd known it all my life. It was the laugh that brought a smile to my face reflexively._

_I heard him long before I saw him. He was just as vividly wonderful as he was in reality. He was still laughing, his face lighted with humour. My heart soared instantly. "Jacob!" I cried, racing towards him._

_His dark eyes finally rested on me. My heart skipped a beat in response. His smile slowly faded. "Nessie," he said solemnly._

_That brought me up short. I stopped immediately. "Jacob?" I said it questioningly now._

_Suddenly, Melina was at his side. He glanced down at her with his perfect smile, his smile that had always been just for me…He wrapped one strong arm around her and kissed the top of her head._

_A horror-struck gasp escaped my lips._

_It seemed enough to attract their attention. Melina looked at me, and then at Jacob. "What's she doing here?"_

_Jacob looked at me again, his glittering black eyes growing cold as he looked at me. "I don't know. She made her choice."_

I awoke with a start. The pain was mixed with a red-hot fury. I was furious that no one had told me. I was furious that he would have actually listened to me. Most of all, I was furious with myself.

I leapt off my bed and threw the first thing I could find, not even stopping long enough to see what it was. I tore my room apart in minutes. I was in the middle of ripping out each drawer in my dresser when something flew out. I caught it easily and examined it for a moment. It was the braided promise bracelet that Jacob had given me for my first Christmas.

The pain rushed back, cooling the fury like a gush of icy water. I crumpled to my knees in the middle of the devastation, completely overwhelmed. I wished to be mortal. At least there would be an end in sight.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

My mother opened the door gently as soon as my last sob had subsided. I didn't look up from the spot where I knelt on the damaged wooden floor in the centre of the room. She didn't even pause to survey the havoc I'd wreaked in my tantrum. She pulled me into her arms and held me for a long time. I buried my face in her rock-like shoulder and exhaled shakily. When we finally drew apart, I rose to see Aunt Rose standing in the doorway, sobbing in the tearless vampire way. She flitted to Mom's side, completely indifferent to the harm that the wreckage was causing her silver stilettos. I hoped that she had the good sense to dispose of them before Aunt Alice saw what she'd done to them. She drew me into her arms and stroked my hair. I wasn't entirely sure who she was trying to calm, me or herself.

I realized now that Mom was crying too. I felt my searing heart throb slightly. I hadn't realized how much pain I was causing everyone.

Over Mom and Aunt Rose's sobs, I could hear Dad pacing on the first floor.

"She's completely hysterical, Carlisle. I don't think we have a choice. I can't watch her like this anymore," he was saying, his voice echoing the same agony that I'd seen on his face earlier.

Grandpa Carlisle sighed. "I had hoped Jacob would come back before this, for both of their sakes."

"But we both know he would never do that," Dad said hopelessly. "He thinks she truly wants him gone permanently, and he always gives her what she wants. He had absolutely no intention of returning when he left." He was right about that, and that made it worse.

Grandpa Carlisle was silent for a moment. "This could be dangerous, Edward. Alice won't be able to see the outcome," The werewolves had no love for half-breeds, as they'd made so clear. "And with the Volturi soon to be after us, that only increases the danger."

"I know."

"Please be careful." It was Grandma Esme's sad, tearful voice now. "I need all three of you back."

"I will, Mom," Dad said gently.

"When will you leave?" asked Grandpa Carlisle.

"As soon as I can pry her away from Rose."

Aunt Rose seemed to be listening as well, and snarled in response, her arms tightening. Apparently that might be a while yet.

"Ow…Aunt Rose…ow…" I gasped as her arms clenched me. At the same moment, a brilliant, shining burst of hope exploded through me. We were going to get him. I would at least see him again, if nothing else.

But what would I do if he wouldn't come back? If I'd pushed him too far? Could I go on? I felt terror churn in my stomach. I already knew the answer to that.

"I've never felt her emotions change so much so fast," Uncle Jasper commented. "She's like a mood ring."

"What's she feeling right now?" Grandma Esme asked.

"She's an odd mixture of joy, grief and fear at the moment," he said, his voice going distant.

"Joy? What's she happy about?" Uncle Emmett's booming voice inquired, his question tainted with the same grief that seemed to be the common factor amongst my family members at the moment. I was amazed at how profoundly my own sorrow had affected my family. You knew it was bad when Uncle Emmett was in pain.

"Edward?" Uncle Jasper asked Dad.

"She's listening to us. She's exultant at the prospect of going to find Jacob, but she's afraid that he won't return with us, that she's wounded him too deeply. She also feels guilty for the pain she's caused us."

"Would he do that?" Emily asked. "Would he refuse to return?"

"No," Dad replied. "She's his imprint. It's as painful for him to be away from her as it is for her to be away from him, if not more." I shuddered at that idea. "He's completely connected to her."

I felt a warm glow spreading over me. Jacob was connected to me?

"Please, Edward, get him back for her. She's starting to give me a headache," Uncle Jasper said. "She's changing emotions every thirty seconds."

I bit my lip. I'd have to try to get that under control. I could feel Aunt Rose's arms loosening. I burst out of the room as soon as she let them drop and tore down the stairs to the first floor. Grandma Esme, Grandpa Carlisle, Emily, Rob, Ian, Tara, Dad, Uncle Jasper, Aunt Alice and Uncle Emmett all stood in Grandpa Carlisle's office, watching the door as they waited for me to enter. Their faces were identical masks of concern.

"So…we're really going?" I asked Dad.

"Yes," he confirmed.

"When?"

"Now, if you'd like."

If I'd _like_?

He gave a small, strained smile. "Yes, I thought you might feel that way."

"But…my things…"

"We have more than enough money to buy you clothes and such items along the way," Dad said quickly.

"Are we going to take the car?"

"I was thinking we could run," he said. "I can carry you if you get tired."

I nodded. The idea sounded good to me. I felt an urge to keep moving, as though this fresh hope that I had discovered depended upon it. I needed for this hope to survive. It kept the pain away. I was terrified of what would happen if that pain took over again.

I looked around at the faces of my family and friends. Emily moved first. She hugged me tightly. "Stay safe, Nessie."

"Thanks, Emily."

She smiled and stepped back. Everyone came forward to embrace me now. First Rob (I didn't entirely like hugging him), then Tara, then Ian, then Aunt Alice (who only released me because Uncle Jasper had to physically remove her), Uncle Jasper, Grandpa Carlisle, Uncle Emmett (which was not unlike being crushed by a boulder) and finally Grandma Esme, who was crying again.

"Call as soon as you can," she said. Her voice was thick with emotion.

"Of course, Grandma," I reassured her. It briefly concerned me that I felt no fear, but my eagerness to see Jacob again made whatever danger there was irrelevant.

She gave me one final squeeze before stepping back reluctantly. I turned to see Mom and Aunt Rose behind me, looking like they might relapse into tears at any moment. Aunt Rose gave me a final brief hug, and then stepped aside so Mom could take her turn. She crushed me against her for a long moment. "You give that mutt –" I cringed at the word "– a hug for me when you see him," she told me.

"I will, Mom."

She turned to Dad next. She kissed him fiercely, her hands tangling in his hair. I tried not to grimace. "Hurry," I heard her whisper to him.

"Yes, love," he said. He turned to me, taking my hand. "We'll be back as soon as we find Jacob."

Mom nodded slightly.

"Wait!" Aunt Alice flashed out of the room for a moment and then reappeared. "I got this ready for you a few days ago." She held out an armful of clothes. "They're good for running," she reassured me.

I gave her a tiny smile. "Thank you, Aunt Alice."

"Go change," Dad told me. "I'll wait."

I dressed in the clothes Aunt Alice had offered. They were stretch designer jeans, a close-fitting green shirt and a grey sweater. They looked like the sort of thing a model for a fashion magazine would wear rather than someone desperately running cross-country to retrieve the one they loved.

I met Dad outside by the driveway. I glanced over my shoulder to see my family standing at the window. I gave them a small smile.

"Come on," Dad said.

I nodded and took a deep breath. Emily's words echoed in my mind. _Would he do that? Would he refuse to return?_ I thought I'd known the answer to that. But that was when I'd been sure that he'd never leave me.

"Nessie, please," Dad said. "Let's go."

I nodded again and broke into a run, Dad at my side. I could tell he was going slower than he could have to keep pace with me. I took another breath and pictured Jacob's face in my thoughts. A pang of longing hit me, followed by a twinge of the unbearable pain that I had learned to fear over the past few days. I shuddered and doubled my pace.

* * *

Seven long hours passed, and I finally began to grow weary. We were well over the American border. Dad slowed before I even said anything. "I'll carry you," he offered.

I nodded tiredly as he scooped me up into his arms and started running again. I rested my head against his stony chest, letting my eyes drift shut.

"Nessie," he said after what felt like only a moment. "We're almost to the border."

My eyes flew open. He stopped abruptly to let me down. "Sam just registered our scent. If they don't let us cross, we're going to have to try to convince Sam to give Jacob our message."

My heart rate increased at the sound of his name. We were so close, so very close. I tried to imagine what I would say. How could I atone for the horrible things I'd said? "Okay," I murmured to let him know that I'd heard him. "Can you hear Sam?"

He nodded. "He's not pleased that we're here."

I couldn't blame him. After the way I'd treated Jacob, I wouldn't have been pleased to see me either.

"Edward?"

We turned to see Seth standing there, surprise fresh on his boyish features.

"Seth," smiled Dad warmly. "It's good to see you."

"Yeah, same to you," he told Dad with his bravest attempt at a smile as he studied me.

A horrible guilt flavoured by the excruciating pain dulled my excitement. I lowered my eyes. What right did I really have to ask him to return after everything I'd done?

"May we cross? Nessie is here to see Jacob."

I clenched my fists as the pain returned. "Please, Seth," I added in a whisper. I tried to ignore the growls rising from the woods around us.

He looked at me sympathetically. "Uh…that's not really in my job description, since I'm not an Alpha, but I can go get Sam..."

"Thank you," Dad said.

Seth disappeared into the forest, phasing as he ran. Two shadows detached themselves from the dark forest and came to stand before us. It was Quil and Embry.

"Hey guys," I said shakily. We'd become fairly good friends over the past six years.

"Hey, Ness," said Quil softly.

"How is he?" I choked.

Quil and Embry exchanged glances. I saw Dad wincing in my peripheral vision. That bad? "He's…he's pretty messed up right now, Ness," Embry said.

I swallowed hard, biting my lip as I fought off tears. "Is he…is he angry?"

"At himself, yeah."

The pain flared dangerously. I took a deep breath and clenched my fists again. That was the one thing that I'd been more afraid of than anything else; that he would blame himself for my stupidity. That was almost worse than the last four days combined. We stood in silence for several moments until Seth and Sam returned.

"Renesmee," said Sam coolly, dipping his head in my direction. "Edward. You want permission to cross the border?"

"Please," Dad said, effortlessly polite.

His dark eyes shifted to me. "Jacob's in quite a bit of pain. I'm not sure if now's the best time."

I felt a sob building.

"Hey!" I turned at the sound of Leah's voice as she joined the group of werewolves. "Where the heck do you get off screwing with Jake like that?" she demanded of me. Sam glared at her, but did nothing to stop her. By the look on his face, his thoughts on the situation weren't far from hers.

"Leah," Dad said firmly, stepping forward so that his body was half-blocking her. "That's not helpful."

"I'll tell you what's not _helpful_, Edward. Having this disgusting little parasite screwing with Jake's head and making him depressive, _that's_ not helpful! I've had to deal with his moping for four stinking days!" Her furious eyes flicked to me again. "He thought about killing himself, did you know that, leechling? Or were you too wrapped up in your own pathetic little pity-party?"

I felt tears roll down my cheeks.

"Leah," Sam snarled. "That's enough."

"You're not my Alpha anymore, Sam. I can say whatever the hell I want."

"Shut up, Leah," Seth said darkly. His voice was harder than I'd ever heard it.

"What, are you doing disagree with me? He's been a wreck, thanks to this stupid little –"

"Leah, knock it off," said a quiet, broken voice.

A sob fought its way up my throat at the sound of that voice.

Leah stepped aside unwillingly, her hateful eyes never leaving me.

"Jake, if you need –" Seth started to say, looking up at his broken Alpha with worried eyes.

"Scram, kid," my Jacob said softly, his tormented black eyes resting on me.

That look in his eyes was the more than I could bear. I began to sob uncontrollably. That seemed to be enough to repel the rest of the on-lookers. Leah was the last to leave, still hissing hatefully as she slunk off into the woods.

"I'll go hunt," Dad muttered to no one in particular.

Jake and I stared at each other in silence for several moments. His face kept blurring in the pool of tears that welled in my eyes. Unable to stand the distance any longer, I flew to him and threw my arms around his warm body. His arms locked around me at the same time, his sobs mingling with mine.

I was glad Uncle Jasper wasn't here now. He would have been perplexed at the mixture of emotions running through me. That horrible, familiar pain screamed through my veins, mixed with an indescribable relief, a terrible guilt, an acute self-hatred and a burning passion.

I inhaled his woodsy scent. How I had missed that smell. I realized as he held me that nothing had ever felt more natural than the way we were now. This was where I _belonged_.

After several minutes of sobbing, I managed to choke out a sentence "I'm…" My words were interrupted by a wave of sobs. "I'm…so…sorry," I gasped in between gut-wrenching sobs. "I was…such an _idiot_."

His arms tightened around me. "I should have told you," he said as he continued to weep.

"No," I insisted, my hysteria peaking. "I was…I was…a fool."

We held each other for a long time. He guided me to a fallen log when we finally managed to stop crying. I lowered myself into his lap as soon as he sat, refusing to release him. I was afraid that if I let him go, he would disappear, and I would wake up to find myself alone again. I wasn't entirely sure that I could endure that. The very idea send chills rippling over my skin. I pressed my face into his chest, the sound of his beating heart reassuring me of his presence and soothing away what remained of the agony.

"Damn, I missed you, kid," he told me as he stroked my hair.

My airy chuckle in response was muffled by his black T-shirt. "'Missed you more," I muttered.

"Impossible," he shot back.

"I'm so sorry, Jake," I said again. "I was so horrible to you."

"This was my fault," he said resolutely. "If I'd told you –"

"Hey," I said, moving to see his face. I placed a finger over his lips. "Don't be stupid. That was not your fault and we both know it."

He sighed and gave me a look.

"You only have me to blame. So don't pull that crap with me."

He grinned in spite of himself. "You remind me so much of Bella."

I looked at him for a moment, measuring his words.

It took him a while to realize his mistake. "Oh. I'm so sorry. That was a jerk thing to say."

I rolled my eyes. "When are you going to stop apologizing for everything?"

"When I stop screwing up."

"I think you mean when _I_ stop screwing up, and in that case, you've got a while to wait."

He chuckled again and pressed his forehead against mine. I closed my eyes as my heart picked up speed. He chuckled as he heard in the increase. "I love you, Ness."

My heart froze for the briefest of moments, and then exploded into a happiness like I'd never felt before. All of the horror and pain of the past few days evaporated instantly. I would have loved to jump up and dance around the world, but that would have meant ending the moment. I stared into his bottomless black eyes. "'Love you too, Jake."

He gave me his special smile. "Do you think your dad's listening?"

"He's probably trying very hard not to," I replied.

"Good," he said, cupping my face with his massive hand and pressing his soft lips to mine.

The electricity was back in an instant. The feeling of our lips as they moved together was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. I wrapped my arms around his neck, weaving my fingers into his thick hair. In that moment, there was nothing else in the world except for the man in my arms. So this was what heaven felt like.

After a long moment, my glimpse of the divine reluctantly faded back into reality. A smile broke across my face as my eyes opened. I was sure that I'd never been this euphorically happy in my entire life. My happiness was mirrored in his spectacular answering smile.

"Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for that?" he asked, his voice husky.

I tilted my head back and laughed. It was hard to remember back to this morning, when I'd awoken hopeless and despondent. There was nothing in this world that could cast a shadow on the brilliance of this moment. My world was perfect right now.

"Jake, promise me something," I said, laying my forehead against his.

"Anything."

"Promise me that you will never, ever leave me again, even if I tell you to."

He grinned. "Done."

An extra rush of euphoria shot through my veins. I pulled the promise bracelet that he'd given me out of my sweater pocket and met his eyes. He understood me wordlessly. He took the bracelet from me and tied it around my wrist. "Forever," he murmured.

"Forever," I replied.

"Ness?"

"Yes, Jake?"

"Let's go home."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

I was barely aware of the trip home. Jake and I ran hand-in-hand most of the way, then he and Dad took turns carrying me when I got tired. When we finally arrived, everyone was already rushing to the door.

"Before you all get too lost in your mushy hellos," Aunt Rose said coolly, barring Jacob from entering the house. "I have a few words for mutt-brain here."

"Oooh," Jake taunted. "I'm in trouble now."

"Yes, pup, you are," she snapped. "If you ever, _ever_, leave Nessie again," she said, taking a step forward, her dark honey eyes glinting homicidally. "I will torture you in ways you didn't even know existed, skin you alive, and then if you're lucky, I'll kill you."

Jacob shrank back slightly, actually intimidated by her. I couldn't blame him. She looked terrifying.

Uncle Emmett snorted from the back of the crowd that had gathered by the door. "Aw, come on Rose. Let's not send the little puppy back to La Push with his tail between his legs already. He just got here."

"Shut it, Emmett," Mom said, elbowing past him. "Jake!" She hugged him briefly, casting me an anxious glance. When I made no reaction, she gave him another warm smile. "It's good to have you back. We've all missed you."

Uncle Jasper and Aunt Alice were next. Uncle Jasper embraced me first. "You seem much happier, Nessie."

"I am," I replied with a smile.

"I'm glad." He shook Jacob's hand next.

Jacob had to practically double-over to embrace Aunt Alice. He patted her back awkwardly with a comical look on his face. I stifled a giggle.

Aunt Alice launched herself at me shortly thereafter. She sniffed suddenly. "We're going to have to burn those," she said, gesturing to my clothes. "I don't think even a hundred washings would get the smell out. But welcome back just the same, Jacob."

He grinned. "Thanks, Shorty."

"By the way," she said. "I second what Rosalie said. No more listening to Nessie."

Aunt Rose was next. She hugged me briefly and flounced past Jacob without a glance.

"Missed you, man," Uncle Emmett said. "She was a little freaky while you were gone," he said, gesturing to me.

I ignored him. I had my werewolf back. That was all that mattered. I could take the jokes and the jibes; I had the other half of my heart back. I already felt healthier, more alive.

Once the hellos were finished, I suddenly realized just how tired I was.

My parents noticed this at about the same time I did. They bade me go to bed, and since I refused to let Jacob out of my sight, Dad had very reluctantly agreed to let him sleep in my room, but only after Mom had reminded him that he used to actually sneak into her room each night. At least Jacob was asking.

"I'll be listening, Jacob," he said as a parting reminder, his eyes narrowed. He turned to me. "Sleep well, Nessie." He kissed my forehead and flashed me a smile.

I smiled in return. "Thanks, Dad."

He touched my cheek before stepping aside to let Mom say goodnight. She embraced both Jacob and me before letting us go.

I was grateful to find that my room had been put back together, probably by Grandma Esme, although how she'd managed to do it, I had no idea. I would have to thank her.

I sighed and lay down, too tired to even change. Jacob sprawled out beside me with a contented sigh. I put my head on his chest as he wrapped an arm around me. I didn't need words to tell him how happy I was. I brought back the memories of our first kiss only short hours ago, and the incandescent ecstasy that I associated with that memory. He gave me a brief squeeze.

"So, Miss Cullen," he said teasingly. "Exactly how long have you been crushing on me here?"

I giggled. "On the way to school on the first day," I said as I brought back the memory of that first time that I'd felt the difference when he'd touched me in the car.

"Really?" he asked, surprised. "I thought you were just nervous."

"That's because you're clueless," I heard Aunt Rose mutter from the library. I blushed instantly as I realized that she was listening to us.

"Don't you have anything better to do, Blondie?" Jacob asked. "Like fixing your personality, maybe?"

"Rosalie," I heard Grandpa Carlisle say from the third floor. "Give them some privacy, please."

"Thanks, Carlisle," Jacob said as Aunt Rose left the floor with a hiss.

"Any time, Jacob."

I laid my hand flat against his skin as I brought back other memories; anger towards Uncle Emmett when he'd broken his arm, excitement when he'd almost kissed me, worry when he'd body-checked Ian during the hockey game, jealousy when Melina flirted with him.

"Wow," he said after a moment. "I really was clueless."

I had to smile. "You kind of were." I still couldn't believe that it had been only days ago that I'd been so hopeless. It felt more like years. The change was so drastic in comparison with what I felt now.

I allowed my eyes to flutter shut. I dreaded falling asleep. I didn't want to waste a second of time that could be spent with Jacob.

"Goodnight, Nessie," I heard him whisper just before I fell into sleep's waiting arms. "I love you more than anything."

* * *

I awoke the following morning in a surreal ecstasy. I half expected it to end. I was waiting to wake up and find that he was gone, and that yesterday had just been a pleasant dream.

"'Morning, hon," Mom said warmly as Jacob and I entered the kitchen together the following morning. "How did you sleep?"

"She sleeps like a rock," Jacob answered for me. "It's crazy. I could've set off an atomic bomb right next to her ear and I don't think she would have noticed."

I blushed as I took a seat next to Mom. Aunt Rose set a decadent plate of French toast in front of me with a smile that almost seemed relieved. She shoved a meagre bowl of cereal across the counter to Jacob, who'd sat down next to me.

I sighed. Well, at least not everything had changed.

Emily and Rob entered now. Rob had his arms wrapped around Emily's waist. Both were laughing as they came in. They seemed to be doing better. I was glad for Emily's sake. I knew how much she hated it when they fought. "Good morning, Nessie and Jacob," she giggled as Rob whispered something in her ear from behind her.

"Hey," I replied with a smile. Her happiness only added to mine.

"Hi," Tara said, skipping into the room now. I stared at her in shock for a fraction of a second. I'd never seen Tara skip, much less talk _and_ skip. Perhaps my happiness was contagious? By the look that she and Ian exchanged from where he sat on the other side of the kitchen, that seemed to be the case. I supposed that it was only fair that I be spreading happiness now after the days I had spent permeating the house with grief.

Even my usually-emotionless Uncle Jasper seemed particularly jovial. I had a feeling that he was partly responsible for the good cheer that seemed to be rampant amongst my family members.

Unfortunately, with Uncle Emmett's happiness came a whole new slew of horrible jokes. But I refused to allow his teasing to affect me.

"You know, Ed," said Uncle Emmett that afternoon as he slung an arm around Dad's shoulders, using the nickname that he knew Dad despised. "I think you should have cameras put in their rooms," he said, nodding to Jacob and me. I was sitting against the wall, Jacob's head in my lap as he slept. I was trying to interest myself in the program that Aunt Alice was watching on the flat screen, but I was finding it particularly difficult. Being so happy could be distracting, as could Jacob's snoring. "I mean, I don't think you're ready for grandfather-hood just yet, are you?"

Jacob's eyes flew open. A low growl started in his throat.

"You do use protection, don't you?" Uncle Emmett asked.

My face felt hotter than the sun. I moved my hair to cover my face instinctively. Jacob leapt to his feet with a full-fledged snarl. "That's it. I am done with your jokes, Emmett. Duel. Outside. Now."

"No," I said quickly, leaping to my feet as well. I grabbed Jacob's hand and brought back the memory of my worry when he'd fought Uncle Emmett before.

He paused. He hated to worry me, as I knew and was using to my advantage.

"So you don't use protection, then?" Uncle Emmett was openly grinning now.

Jacob growled again, backing Uncle Emmett up towards the sliding door that he'd had to replace.

"Did I touch a nerve, wolf-boy?"

Dad followed Jacob, glaring at Uncle Emmett.

"Are you joining us, Eddy?" asked Uncle Emmett with a laugh.

"Yes," Dad hissed. "For Jacob's side."

He laughed again. "Awesome. Twice as easy."

Dad and Jacob snarled in perfect unison.

"Emmett…" Grandma Esme said uneasily from where she sat next to Aunt Alice. "Maybe you should back off…"

"Aw, come on, Esme, we're having fun!" he replied as he opened the door behind his back. He may have been thick enough to rile a werewolf and a vampire who was good at fighting, but he knew better than to turn his back on them.

"Just try not to break anything," Grandma Esme said pleadingly. "And that includes each other." When they'd first started with their little matches, she'd initially tried to stop them, but had given up shortly thereafter. There was no point. They would always fight anyway.

"Jacob, don't," I said, worry colouring my tone now. I felt Uncle Jasper, who stood behind Aunt Alice, trying to calm me. I saw Jacob hesitate in mid-step, but his annoyance was stronger.

"Didn't you hear her?" Uncle Emmett asked him as he stepped outside. "Mommy said no fighting."

I gritted my teeth and fought the urge to hit him myself.

Jacob snarled again as he and Dad launched themselves at Uncle Emmett. Their combined weight was enough to send him sprawling on the snow-dusted lawn. Dad fought to pin my uncle's muscled arms behind his back. Jacob shoved Uncle Emmett's head into the frozen grass, clearly enjoying himself. I rolled my eyes. Men.

I felt Uncle Jasper's calming powers retract as he walked towards the door. "I believe I owe you a few, big brother, and what better time is there than the present?"

By the end of the half-hour match, Uncle Jasper, Dad and Jacob were high-fiving in victory. Uncle Emmett had easily been defeated. He and Aunt Rose had decided to go to for a hunt; he'd need at least a few hours to get over the embarrassment of being beaten so badly.

"See?" Jacob said with a grin as he resumed his spot. "Not a scratch."

I glared at him briefly, but as the happiness set in again, I found it impossible to remain annoyed with him. I stroked his hair absently as he fell back to sleep.

"Nessie, what're you planning to do about school?" Dad asked as he flashed into the room with a glass of donated blood. I felt the flames of thirst burning in the back of my throat as I caught the scent. It'd been a while since I'd hunted. I'd been forced to eat human food for the past few weeks as a safety precaution. I'd have to take it up with Jacob when he woke up.

"You don't have to go back if you don't want to," he reassured me. "We're more than capable of teaching you."

He would just _love_ that. "No, I want to go back, Dad."

He sighed. "I knew you'd say that."

"Of course you did. You read my mind."

He gave me a look.

I flashed him a grin in response. It felt good to be able to able to joke again. I wasn't sure I would be able to after the past few days.

Jacob shifted head slightly and sighed in his sleep. I glanced down at him and resumed stroking his hair. I studied his face. He had dark circles under his eyes, but beyond that, he was just as flawlessly handsome as ever. I leaned my head back against the wall and suddenly wished that Aunt Alice could see our future. Over the years, she'd honed her skills enough that she could occasionally see what happened to those around us and the impact that our decisions had on them, but we were just as invisible as ever.

"I want to talk to you about that, actually," Dad said softly.

I hated it when he dropped in on my thoughts like that. "What do you mean?"

"Let's talk in private," he said, rising.

I moved Jacob's head out of my lap gently and accepted Dad's offered hand. Jacob took no notice whatsoever.

Dad surprised me by leading me outside and towards the path that Jacob and I so often walked. He was silent until we were out of hearing range of the house. "I wanted to talk about you and Jacob."

_Here we go_, I thought.

"It's not like that," Dad said. "But…your mother and I would like you to wait a year before you and Jacob...marry." He cringed at the word.

I nodded slightly. That was understandable. "Okay. But you're not going to object to the idea of Jacob and me getting married?"

He sighed resignedly and dug his hands into his pockets. "No. He makes you very happy and you make him very happy. I can't ignore that, and I'm not so selfish as to wish to steal that from you. He loves you as much as we do, and I know that he'll take good care of you, so I see no grounds for an objection."

My shock was eclipsed only by my joy. I wrapped my arms around him suddenly. "Thank you, Daddy." I doubted there had been anyone in history happier than I was today.

Dad chuckled and embraced me as well. "You're welcome, Nessie. But I reserve the first dance with the bride."

I grinned. "It's yours."

He was quiet for a time as we continued to walk. "I can't believe I'm giving up my little girl after only six years."

"I'll always be nearby, Dad," I promised him.

"I know," he told me. "But to have you married at six…"

"I'll look about the same age as you."

He winced at the thought. I had to admit, it sounded strange, but I smiled nonetheless. What other family in history had ever had to have a conversation like this one?

I saw the corners of Dad's lips lifting against his will in response to my thought. "Anyway," he said. "I know that you and Jacob are in love, but please promise me that you'll be…sensible."

My face heated instantly. I was going kill Uncle Emmett when I got back.

"This has nothing to do with what Emmett said," Dad replied evenly. "Just promise me that."

"I'll be sensible."

Shortly before sunset, we all went hunting in the mountains. With Jacob's help, I brought down my first grizzly. Ian and Uncle Emmett both fed on grizzlies as well while Dad, Rob, Grandpa Carlisle and Uncle Jasper all went for mountain lions. Tara managed to find a lone moose and the rest settled for deer.

After the hunt, both Jacob and I went to bed early, as we had school the following day. I still refused to allow him out of my sight. I was afraid of loosing this beautiful new happiness that I'd discovered. I had a reason to look forward to each new day, and its name was Jacob.

* * *

"Hey Blondie. Want to know how you make a blonde's eyes twinkle?" Jacob asked tauntingly as we drove to school the following morning.

Aunt Rose sighed as Jacob began his fourth joke of the past five minutes.

"Shine a flashlight in her ear."

Dad mashed his lips together to keep from smiling, but that didn't stop him from snorting. Aunt Rose made no comment.

"What's the difference between a smart blonde and a UFO?"

She rolled her eyes.

Dad burst out laughing before Jacob could even finish with, "There've been sightings of UFOs."

I sighed. "Jake, please…"

"What?" he asked innocently.

I was grateful when we finally reached the school. I was getting tired of their rivalry. Dad had driven Aunt Rose, Jacob and me this morning as Rob had discovered Dad's garage last night (particularly Uncle Emmett's army-green Lamborghini Reventón), and nearly begged Uncle Emmett to let him drive it (even though according to Emily, Rob was the very proud owner of a black late-model Rolls-Royce Phantom). Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper had taken Emily, Ian and Tara in her Porsche.

Jake walked me to class that morning, to Melina's disgust. He smirked at her and wrapped an arm around me as we stopped in front of my class.

"Okay. Try not to kill Aunt Rose before lunch," I said, giving him a look.

He gave me the smile that he knew made my knees weak. "I'll try. You should go to class. I think Melina's about to have a heart attack. I'll see you at lunch." He wound his arms around my waist and kissed me, sending me shooting back to paradise.

I laughed breathlessly as my head spun. "Right. Class." I was officially dazzled.

He laughed as well before going to his own class.

I was still dazed as I sank into my seat next to Aunt Alice, who was smirking as she sifted through the papers in her binder. I tried valiantly to focus during my morning classes, but it wasn't the easiest thing I'd ever tried to do.

Lunch passed far too quickly for my liking. It felt like time had sped up, robbing me of precious time that I had to spend with my Jacob. I'd called him "my Jacob" since I'd been old enough to know who he was, bit now it was finally true. He was my Jacob, and I was his Nessie.

As we walked to our combined gym class, Quil's words from a conversation long ago played through my mind. I'd asked him if werewolves were immortal. "We only stop aging if we phase," he'd told me as he took a wolf-sized bite out of the elaborate chicken sandwich that Dad had made him for lunch on one of the afternoons that they'd stopped by the house. "If we stop phasing, we go right back to being mortal." I'd shuddered involuntarily then as I did now. How would I survive an eternity of existence without him?

The answer was obvious: I wouldn't.

"Hey," he said, stopping me in the hall and moving to face me. I'd forgotten that he would have heard all of that. I'd gotten out of the habit of speaking with my power when I was about two. "Don't you think like that." He cupped my face in his hands. "I'm not going to stop phasing as long as I still have a reason to."

"What's the reason?"

"You."

I felt a warm glow spread over me.

"Forever, remember?"

I nodded. "Forever."

He gave me another mind-numbing kiss when we reached the doors to the change rooms, and then hurried to his own changing room. I'd somehow managed to stumble to mine.

"All right everybody," said Mr. Wilkes, calling the class to order. "Today is rock-climbing."

"Great," I heard Tara mutter darkly.

I glanced at her. "What's wrong with rock-climbing?"

"Heights," she replied, swallowing slightly.

"She's deathly afraid of heights," Emily informed me. She looked at Tara. "Do you want to fake sick?"

Tara shook her head bravely, but by the petrified look in her emerald-green eyes, that was very much what she wanted to do.

"You don't have to do this," Ian told her, placing a hand on her arm.

"I can do it, Ian," she reassured him, taking deep, steadying breaths.

Ian looked as unconvinced as I felt.

"Tara, do you want to do this?" Emily asked.

"Yes," Tara said.

Ian glanced at Emily, who was glaring at her sister. "You _know_ you can't lie to me," Emily said.

Jeff ended up as Tara's belayer. Ian had looked ready to start World War III as soon as Mr. Wilkes had said it. It amused me that they would never know just how fortunate they were that Ian was so good at controlling himself.

Of course, as soon as Mr. Wilkes assigned Melina as Jacob's belayer, I was suddenly able to understand just how difficult that control was.

"Easy Nessie," Aunt Alice said warningly as I scaled the wall easily, and probably a little faster than was natural. "They're getting a little suspicious."

I sighed and slowed down, forcing myself to look clumsy and human. I focused on not ripping the rocks off of the wall and hurling them at Melina's head as I heard her constant stream of flirtatious comments directed towards Jacob.

Aunt Alice gave Jacob the same warning. She gasped as soon as she spoke.

"What?" I asked her over my shoulder. As I asked the question, a flicker of movement caught my eye. Horror froze me to the wall as I saw him slipping. What was he doing? He was a great climber!

A high-pitched scream that sounded strangely like my own pierced the room as he fell off of the wall, the rope whistling through Melina's lax fingers. His body crashed into the blue mat with a deafening crack.

"NO!" I heard myself shriek. I released the wall, completely and utterly forgetting about maintaining the secret, and landed easily, although the sound was more of a slam. I noticed that the floor around where I'd landed was cracked slightly. But I couldn't have cared less about the breach.

I very nearly flew to Jacob's side. It looked so terrible; to unnatural to see my Jacob sprawled over the ground like that, his limbs twisted at unusual angles. A stream of profanities flew out of my mouth.

"Renesmee!" Mom and Dad exclaimed in shock.

I ignored them. "Jake! Jacob, look at me! Open your eyes!" What if there was a limit to what the werewolves could recover from that even they didn't know about? What if he had just discovered that limit?

"Please, Jake," I begged, cupping his face in my hands. I gasped when I caught the scent of blood. Thirst burned in my throat faintly, but it wasn't even close to being a priority at that moment. I'd never been this afraid in my life. I started at him, willing him to open his eyes.

"Ow," he moaned sluggishly.

I exhaled, tears rushing to my eyes. Satisfied that he was alive, I flew to my feet. "_YOU_!" I said to Melina, pointing a trembling, blood-covered finger at the dumb-struck girl, although the words came out as more of an enraged screech. "You _idiot_! You could have _killed him_!" I knew I was out of control in some part of my mind. I was right in the middle of throwing myself into a crouch when a hand seized my shoulder and pulled me to my feet. Dad whirled me around to face him.

"Renesmee, get a hold of yourself," he said, his voice both firm and worried. "Remember where we are."

I saw Melina watching me fearfully out of my peripheral vision as she backed up quickly. "Dad, she almost killed him," I snarled.

"Jacob will be fine," he said. "We'll take him to see Carlisle."

"There's an ambulance on the way," a pale-faced Mr. Wilkes informed us. "Everyone clear out of the area."

"There's no need, Mr. Wilkes. We can drive him to see my father," Dad said firmly.

"He needs an ambulance, Edward," Mr. Wilkes said.

"He'll be fine," Dad insisted.

Emily joined us now. She gave Mr. Wilkes a dazzling look. "He'll be quite all right. Jacob has a propensity for healing quickly."

I almost felt badly for the poor mortal. He stood no chance against a look like that.

"Come on, Nessie," Dad said, dragging me away from the terrified Melina. I was vaguely grateful for it. I wasn't entirely sure that I would've been able to leave her intact had they depended merely on my self-restraint, but that feeling warred with my instinct to rip her apart into tiny bit-sized shreds and feed her to the nearest sharks.

Dad had Uncle Emmett brought from class and the two carried Jacob to the Volvo, although either one of them could have done it quite easily on their own. I still wasn't entirely used to the charade that they all stepped into when we were surrounded by humans. It seemed as simple to them as breathing. I hoped I would learn to become as adept. For most of my life, it had been unnecessary. Everyone in my life knew our secret. Grandpa Charlie was the only one that I'd ever needed to pretend around, and even then, Grandpa Charlie knew there was something strange about us. I'd often caught him muttering "need-to-know" when we'd visited him in Forks.

"Let's go," Mom said, seizing my arm from Dad. Aunt Rose took my other arm as we followed behind the little procession. Uncle Jasper tried to support Jacob's back as they walked. It felt wrong to see him so fragile. I'd seen him injured before; it was one of the hazards that came with having Jacob and Uncle Emmett under the same roof, but never like this. It was a bit of a shock to see the man that you'd watched take down grizzlies without raising a sweat suddenly weak and helpless. I felt strangely light-headed as we neared the car.

"Please don't pass out again," Aunt Rose begged me.

I looked at her in surprise. What was she talking about?

"You need to breathe," she reminded me.

That explained the light-headedness. I took a deep breath. My head throbbed slightly, but that was the least of my worries.

"Ness, you want to ride with Edward?" Uncle Emmett asked over his shoulder after they'd loaded Jacob into the back. "You know, in case the puppy needs someone to hold his paw – I mean, hand – or something."

I glowered at him. Could he take _anything_ seriously? I walked wordlessly over to the Volvo and took a in the back. Jacob stretched out beside me, laying his head in my lap. He gave the occasional moan of pain. I stroked his face, biting my lip to keep the tears that pricked my eyes at bay. He needed me right now. This was no time to lose control.

Dad got in seconds later. "Try not to let him get to you, Nessie. He means well…some of the time."

I glanced at my uncle again. I was no where close to being in a forgiving mood. "He still doesn't have to be so…so…"

"Emmett-like?" Dad suggested.

"Yeah!"

Dad chuckled and started the car. "That's just how he is, Ness. It bothers me as much as it bothers you at times, but he doesn't always do it just for his own amusement." He stopped. I knew he wouldn't go on. Dad was always very careful about what he shared from people's thoughts.

I stared at Jacob for the entire drive. He slipped in and out of consciousness throughout the entire drive. His head wound had stopped bleeding, thankfully. He looked to be improved by a minute degree, but nothing that would have been visible to a human.

"Should we bring Grandpa Carlisle out to him?" I asked Dad once we'd finally arrived at the hospital.

"He can walk," Dad replied.

I blinked. "You can't be serious! He's in no condition to _walk_!"

"He seems to think so." He glanced at Jacob. "He wants you to stop 'freaking out'."

"I'll tell you when I'll stop freaking out, Jacob Black, I'll stop freaking out when you stop jumping off of rock climbing walls!" I shot back, and then sighed. Why did he have to be so impossible to stay angry with?

Dad half-grinned. "He says that it was more of a slip than an actual jump."

Uncle Emmett banged on the passenger window suddenly. I started. I hadn't heard him coming. "Come on! We going to get him in or what?" he asked from outside the car.

Dad sighed and unlocked the doors. He and Uncle Emmett shouldered Jacob's weight as they helped him into the hospital, stepping right back into the façade that we presented to the humans.

Emily and Aunt Alice fell into step beside me. "How's he doing?" Emily asked.

"I'm not sure," I admitted, biting my lip. I detested not knowing. "His head wound's healing up." I watched him nervously. He looked so terrifyingly weak as he dragged his feet along. I understood why we couldn't have an ambulance, but was this really the only solution?

"He'll be okay," Emily said, as though she had sensed my thoughts. She gave me a reassuring smile. "If he can survive brawls with Emmett, I doubt that falling off of a rock wall's going to keep him out of commission for long."

I tried to smile, but the attempt fizzled pathetically. I appreciated her light-hearted logic, but not even that could cheer me at the moment.

We entered the moderately-crowded emergency room and immediately bee-lined for the front desk, which was manned by two very frantic-looking nurses in blue scrubs. One was a young red-head, the other a middle-aged blonde. The blonde glanced up at us warily. "Sorry, guys, but there's a –"

"Listen, lady," Mom said, elbowing her way through our mini-crowd, her golden eyes sparking dangerously. She planted her hands on the desk and leaned forward towards the nurse. "Here's how it's going to go: you're going to call Dr. Carlisle Cullen, and you're going to call him now. And then as soon as you've called him, you're going to get him an examination room, and you're going to have him examine my friend, and you're going to do it with as much speed as you possibly can." I stared at Mom in dumbfounded shock for a moment. She seemed as upset as I was.

The nurse leaned away from Mom instinctively, eyes wide with fear. "Y-Yes, ma'am." She typed something into her computer hurriedly, moving her chair a good distance away from Mom. "Uh…Dr. Cullen's b-busy –"

"I don't care if he's in the middle of performing a brain surgery," Mom hissed. "Get him here _now_."

The nurse nodded, her expression equal parts awe and sheer terror, and then raced off to find my grandfather.

I heard Jacob laugh weakly. "You're kind of freaky, Bells."

"Happy to be of service," she growled.

Dad chuckled as well. "I agree with Jacob. That was magnificent."

She forced a small, tiny smile, then looked worriedly at Jacob. My eyes followed her gaze as well. He looked better than he had, that was undeniable, but he still looked awful. "He should sit," she said, scanning the room. She seemed to zero in on a middle-aged man sitting on a wide fake leather chair. His eyes swept over her as she approached. I heard Dad hiss quietly. This uncomfortable reaction that my family garnered from mortals was yet another one of the realities of living in proximity to humans that I was not yet accustomed to. Of course I'd always thought they were beautiful, but by the way the humans looked at them, you would have thought they were gods.

"Move," Mom commanded him in a horror-worthy, vampiric tone.

The man's expression changed as he scrambled up quickly and fled the chair.

"Bella," Uncle Jasper said disapprovingly.

"Save it, Jasper," she muttered as she helped Jacob into the chair.

Despite her questionable methods, I was grateful that she shared my sense of urgency. I found myself pacing nervously as we waited for Grandpa Carlisle. For the life of me, I couldn't understand how they were all so calm about this. What could be taking him so long?

"It's been less than two minutes, Nessie," Dad reminded me quietly.

Then they had been the longest two minutes of my life. I exhaled irately and paced faster.

Presently, Dad jumped up. "He's almost here," he said in the same quiet tone as before. "Emmett, help me get him up. Gently, please."

They had just gotten Jacob to his feet when Grandpa Carlisle burst through the emergency room doors with a little more speed than was probably natural. His brow was furrowed with intense concern

"What happened?" he asked. "Is everyone all right? Where's Esme?"

"Esme's at home," Dad informed him. "It's Jacob. He fell while rock climbing in gym class."

His butterscotch eyes focused on Jacob. "Oh." I was annoyed to note an edge of relief in his tone. "Well, let's get you fixed up," he said to Jacob.

"I don't know why they're all so worked up," Jacob muttered. "'Just had a little fall."

"_A little fall_?" I said incredulously. "You could have been killed!"

Grandpa Carlisle escorted us to the second floor and to an examination room. He had insisted that we wait outside while he worked.

"Yeah," Jacob had agreed infuriatingly. "Breathing down Doc's neck probably doesn't help him much."

Grandpa Carlisle saw me hesitate. "I'll come and get you as soon as I'm finished, Nessie. I promise," he said gently.

I sighed. "Okay." I looked at Jacob one more time. He gave me his special smile before Mom dragged me away to the second floor waiting room.

"He's in good hands, Ness," she promised me. "If there's anyone that would know how to heal Jacob, it's your Grandpa Carlisle."

I didn't doubt his ability; I doubted my patience, which I told her using my gift.

"I know," she said sympathetically. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm about as anxious as you are."

I took a seat between Mom and Tara. Uncle Emmett, Rob and Dad were discussing cars. Ian was sitting quietly on Tara's other side, once more content to observe. Aunt Rose was dividing attention between the car conversation and me. I caught her staring at me worriedly several times. Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper sat against one of the walls. Aunt Alice rested her head on Uncle Jasper's shoulder. They spoke in voices to low for me to hear, but by the distant expression that came over her eyes, she seemed to be watching the future.

I touched Tara's arm lightly to ask her if Ian liked cars as well.

Tara turned to look at me. She glanced at my hand. "What're you doing?"

I frowned. "You didn't hear that?"

"Was I supposed to hear something?"

I tried to ask her again. "Did you hear anything that time?"

She shook her head again.

I tried shouting my question.

"Nessie…please…" Dad said, cringing.

She glanced at Dad, and then shook her head again.

"Try on me," Emily said, extending her arm. I touched it and thought the question. "I heard it just fine. I thought your gift went through all shields."

"I thought it did too," I said, looking at Tara again. "Is hers different from my mom's?"

"I guess so," Emily said. "Tara, put it on max."

Tara nodded, her eyes narrowing slightly.

I tried again hesitantly. I recoiled my hand instantly with a little shriek. She felt like she was on fire. A wall of white flashed in front of my eyes. I leapt up quickly, staring at her in utter amazement. "What did you _do_?"

She watched me warily. "I…I put my shield on max, like Emily said."

I touched Mom. "Can you still hear me?"

She nodded. "As clear as ever."

I looked at Tara again. "Wow," I saw in genuine awe.

She blushed slightly as Emily smiled proudly. "I call it her super-shield."

"I can see why," I said. "Can you extend it very far?"

Tara shook her head. "Only about forty metres."

I looked at Mom for a comparison.

"It's unlimited, as far as I know," she told me.

"Wow," I said again.

Tara went redder and glanced at Ian. His proud expression mirrored Emily's. That didn't do much to help the redness in her face. It spread to her ears now.

Tara and Mom discussed their shields for several minutes more. I found myself reciting pi in my head as I waited for Grandpa Carlisle to come back. Tara gasped suddenly.

I looked up sharply. She was gaping at Emily, who was staring down the hall, her eyes a confusing combination of anger, pain, fear, disbelief, shock, hatred and longing.

I saw Dad staring as well with a confused expression on his face. "Are you sure?" he asked Emily.

She tore her eyes away from whatever she was staring at to glance at him. "It's not something I would forget, Edward."

I followed her gaze. She was staring at a tall, handsome man standing at the desk, accompanied by a young woman who was equally beautiful.

"Em, what's happening?" Rob asked, at her side instantly.

She continued to stare at the man.

"Do you know him?" Ian asked, glancing from Emily to Tara.

Emily glanced at Tara, who was still looking between the man and her sister frantically. She took a deep breath. "That's my father."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

I felt my jaw drop. There was certainly a resemblance between Emily, Tara and the man at the counter, but he looked so normal, so docile. It was hard to believe that he was capable of the things she'd told us about.

I didn't think I could ever look at my father the way she was now glaring at hers. But then again, my father wasn't a manipulating, murdering lunatic. Dad cast me a half-smile in reply to my thought.

Rob gave a slightly-louder-than-was appropriate growl.

"Rob!" Dad hissed urgently.

The man glanced at us as he walked away from the desk, his black eyes scanning over us until they stopped on Emily, and then Tara. He froze in mid-step, the woman that followed nearly walking into him. "What is it?" she asked him.

He continued to stare wordlessly.

"Father?" she prompted.

His eyes were riveted to Emily, who was watching him with a similar expression. He was tall, with long, dark, wavy hair the same colour as Emily's tied back in a ponytail. He was extremely handsome, almost as handsome as Jacob. He didn't look like he could be much older than twenty-five. I looked at Emily again; she looked to be around twenty. Tara looked to be in her late teens, seventeen perhaps. Then I looked back at the handsome vampire. The oddity of the fact that he was actually their father struck me.

"Is it truly you?" he asked in a pleasant British accent, his voice echoing with pain.

Emily continued to stare wordlessly. She looked torn between killing him and bursting into tears.

"Do you want to speak to this man?" Rob asked, blocking William as he moved to face Emily. "You don't have to speak to him if you don't want to," he said gently.

She bit her lip slightly. "I do. I want to speak to him." She took a deep breath and then let it out slowly.

"I don't think this would be the best place," Grandpa Carlisle said as he joined us. He turned to William. "You wished to speak to me?"

I blinked. He was here to see _Grandpa Carlisle_?

"Yes," William said, turning to face him. He extended a hand to Grandpa Carlisle, who shook it. "I'm William Taylor. But I'd like to speak with my daughters first, if you don't mind."

Grandpa Carlisle smiled thinly. "Of course." He motioned for us to leave them. "Nessie, you're free to see Jacob now, if you'd like," he told me.

I nodded gratefully, hazarding a quick glance at William. He was staring at me now, his expression one of great interest. I resisted the urge to shiver and left the waiting room eagerly. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife.

I made my way down the hall and opened the door to his room slightly. He lay on a cot, his eyes closed.

"It's okay, Ness," I heard him say as I began to close the door again.

I bit my lip. "Sorry to wake you."

He opened his eyes. "I wasn't really sleeping."

I entered the room and closed the door behind me. I sighed and went to stand beside him. His right arm was splinted, but aside from that, he appeared to be healed. "Why'd you do that, Jacob?"

He sat up with a sigh. "Well, I hadn't meant to fall completely. Alice said I was looking too pro." He shot me a dazzling smile. "So I tried to mess up a bit, look more human, but I slipped. I figured it'd look a bit too weird if I grabbed the wall in mid-fall…" He trailed off as he took in the expression on my face.

"You did that on _purpose_?"

He nodded slowly, gauging my reaction. "Yeah…"

"Do you have _any_ idea how worried I was? You could've –"

"Hey," he said, placing two fingers firmly over my mouth. "When I said 'forever', I meant 'forever'. Stop freaking out. I knew what I was doing."

I glared at him, but felt my annoyance slipping as I lost myself in the depths of his dark eyes. I was helpless to resist as he pulled me down next to him.

"I don't just make promises like that lightly. Forever means forever. I'm sorry that I scared you, but I thought you knew. You're stuck with me for eternity, kid."

I threaded my fingers through his. "Just don't do that again, 'kay?"

He chuckled. "You don't have to ask me twice. This afternoon hasn't really been one of my favourite experiences. Speaking of which, what's going on out there? I heard someone snarling."

"That was Rob."

He snorted. "Figures. So what was he snarling about this time?"

"Emily and Tara's dad showed up."

He raised his eyebrows. "The creeper? The murdering creeper?"

I nodded.

He whistled. "That's got to suck."

"Yeah."

"So Rob took his usual approach?"

I laughed. "That's one way of putting it."

Jake yawned and stretched his legs. "Where's Carlisle, anyway?"

"In his office. Emily and Tara's Dad came here to talk to him."

"Creeper came to talk to _Carlisle_?"

I grinned at his nickname for William Taylor. "Yes. He brought one of his kids with him, too."

The door opened presently. Dad stood in the doorway, his brow furrowed. "We're going now. Jacob, Carlisle says you're free to go as well."

"Sweet," he said, rising. "It'll be healed by tomorrow, anyways."

"How're Emily and Tara?" I asked, biting my lip.

"Tara ran off before he could say anything," Dad said with a heavy sigh. "Rosalie went to find her. Ian went with the rest of them. Emily's still talking to them, and Rob's still glued to her side."

I frowned. Aunt Rose had never taken an interest in any of the Winters, especially not Tara. Tara and Ian weren't nearly as reclusive as they had been at first, but they were quiet by nature.

"Are we going now?" Jacob asked as he swung his legs off of the bed.

"Yes," Dad confirmed. "Emmett's leaving his Lamborghini here for Rob and Emily when they finish speaking to her father."

I gasped in horror as the gravity of what that meant sunk in. "But…but that means he's coming with _us_!"

Dad nodded.

"Great," Jacob muttered. "And my arm's not even healed yet."

"There will be no fighting in my car," Dad said quickly. "Any fighting that you and Emmett may choose to partake in will happen at home."

"Oh, Jacob won't be partaking in any fighting," I said firmly. The last thing he needed was another brawl with Uncle Emmett after falling off of a rock climbing wall.

Jacob cringed. "Of course not."

Dad dazzled our way past the nurses at the front desk that had started to insist that we wait for Jacob to be released. As we passed the waiting room, I glanced at Emily, Rob and her father. Rob was standing in front of her slightly, his body still half-shielding hers. William was speaking earnestly, his eyes fixed on his daughter's. As he spoke, Emily became sadder while Rob became angrier.

"What're they talking about?" I asked Dad hopefully. I knew he didn't usually share information like that, but I was burning with curiosity.

"He's trying to persuade Emily to come back to live with him."

I shook my head with distaste. After all he'd done, how could he still expected her to want to have anything to do with him, much less go back?

"He doesn't see it that way," Dad informed me. "He knows that his opinion is not a popular one, but he doesn't see anything wrong with it."

I shuddered as I studied the tall vampire. How could he not see that what he was trying to do was barbaric?

"Joham taught him well," Dad said grimly.

"What's going _on_?" Jacob whined. "You know I hate it when you do that, Edward."

Dad half-smiled. "Sorry, Jacob."

When we reached the parking lot, Uncle Emmett was leaning against Dad's Volvo (which suddenly looked very small and breakable) with his arms crossed. "Took you long enough!"

Dad took a deep breath and unlocked the doors. "Just get in, Emmett."

I took a seat in the back next to Jacob. This was going to be uncomfortable.

Uncle Emmett smiled maliciously as he slid into the backseat, sandwiching me between my werewolf and my obnoxious vampire uncle.

"Not a chance," Dad said shortly. "Passenger side. Or you're walking home."

"Aw, but I don't want to sit with you, Ed!"

"Then I hope you're wearing good shoes."

He laughed. "I'd get home before you would."

"Oh really?" Dad challenged. "You're going to run right through the city of Vancouver at rush hour?"

Jacob and I gave Uncle Emmett matching smirks as he climbed resignedly into the passenger seat ahead of us. Jacob wrapped his good arm around me. I was grateful for the warmth. The frosty winter air had a particularly nasty bite to it.

"Want me to keep an eye on 'em for you, Ed?" asked Uncle Emmett. "I mean, you know teens these days, with their crazy hormones and what not."

I heard Jacob take a deep breath and count to ten beneath his breath before exhaling.

"Knock yourself out," Dad said disinterestedly.

"Don't be such a killjoy, Eddie! You have to loosen up a little."

Dad sped the entire way home, running more than the occasional yellow light and even several reds, but I refrained from commenting. I was just as eager to get home as he was.

To my amazement, there was a peaceful lull for several moments when Uncle Emmett had nothing to say. I bit my lip, hoping desperately that it would survive for the remaining ten minutes of the drive. But I was not so fortunate.

"So Jacob," Uncle Emmett said brightly. "Why'd the chicken cross the road?"

Jacob, Dad and I all groaned collectively.

As soon as we got home, Jacob and I bolted for the house. I felt badly for Dad as he waited for Uncle Emmett to get out so he could lock the doors.

"I'm hungry," Jacob announced as he entered the kitchen. "Do–"

"Jacob!" Grandma Esme exclaimed, bursting into the room. She hugged him quickly. "Oh thank goodness you're all right! Carlisle called and told me what happened. Are you in pain? Do you need anything? Let me get you something to eat. You must be starving."

I smiled as my grandmother escorted him to a kitchen chair. I followed and took a seat beside him as Grandma Esme pulled our meal together in record time.

We ate in relative silence, not for a lack of things to discuss, but because Grandma Esme would barely let us get a word in edgewise.

After she'd finished interrogating Jacob about his condition, she disappeared to fuss over Tara, who apparently had been catatonic since she'd gotten back.

"I wouldn't want to be Ian right now," Jacob muttered in between gargantuan mouthfuls.

"I wouldn't want to be Tara," I murmured. I couldn't imagine knowing that my father had done such terrible things.

Jacob grinned at me suddenly.

"What?" I asked, frowning slightly.

"You're dying of curiosity, aren't you."

I bit my lip. "Maybe?"

He laughed. "I know you too well. Just go."

"I was going to wait till you finished."

"I'll catch up with you in a bit."

I couldn't help but smile. "Okay." I followed Ian, Tara, Aunt Rose and Grandma Esme's scents up to the room that she and Ian shared. He was hovering in the doorway anxiously as Grandma Esme and Aunt Rose sat on either sides of her on the bed. Grandma Esme stroked her back as she and Aunt Rose tried to comfort her. I glanced at Ian. He didn't even bother to hide his distress.

"How's she doing?" I asked Ian quietly.

He didn't bother to look at me as he replied. "She hasn't spoken since she saw him." His tone was bleak, his expression bleaker still, but in the depths of his onyx eyes, I could see pain and anger smouldering.

I felt badly for him. In the past few months, their family had had more than enough turmoil to last a century. I glanced back at Tara. She was staring at the opposite wall. Though her face was blank, her eyes changed emotions every few seconds. _Poor Uncle Jasper_, I thought. _All this emotional change must be driving him crazy._

Her head snapped up suddenly, her eyes frantic. "Where's Emily? I have to talk to Emily. Ian, what happened to Emily? Where did she go? I need to talk to her."

I jumped slightly at the suddenness of her volley of questions. Ian was with her before I'd even noticed him move. "She's at the hospital, darling," he said, kneeling in front of her and threading his fingers through hers. "She's fine. She's with Rob."

"I need to talk to her," Tara insisted. "I have to ask her."

I stared at her in shock as she babbled on frenziedly. I doubted that I'd ever heard this much from Tara in the entire time I'd known. Ian seemed just as astonished as I felt.

"Ask her what, Tara?" Ian inquired.

"I have to ask her," Tara repeated.

"I'm getting Uncle Jasper," I said. If there was anyone that could calm her down, it was Uncle Jasper.

"Did someone call?" Uncle Jasper asked, appearing down the hall. His eyes were tight as he cringed away from Tara's general direction. He walked towards the room slowly, wincing at random intervals, which I assumed were her mood changes.

Aunt Alice and Uncle Emmett appeared as well. "What's going on?" asked Aunt Alice concernedly.

Uncle Jasper continued to flinch. "She's changing emotions even faster than Nessie was." I blushed instinctively. "It's like…it's like…"

"A mood ring on drugs?" asked Uncle Emmett brightly.

"Sure," Uncle Jasper said in a strained tone.

"Just calm her down," Ian nearly pleaded.

Uncle Jasper nodded and stared at Tara for a moment. The effect was instantaneous. Her posture became less rigid, and her eyes calmed considerably.

"Where did you say Emily was?" she asked Ian in a much more relaxed tone.

"She's at the hospital. She'll be fine."

She glanced at Aunt Alice. "Did you know he was coming?"

Aunt Alice shook her head remorsefully. "I had no idea, I'm sorry."

"That'd be pretty sick," Uncle Emmett said suddenly. Everyone looked at him. "A mood ring on drugs, I mean."

I exchanged glances with Aunt Alice. "Does the term 'on-topic' mean nothing to you?" she asked him.

He laughed. "Of course not!"

We both sighed.

When Rob, Emily and Grandpa Carlisle finally returned, the sky was just beginning to darken. Tara had spent most of the lapsed hours babbling, which worried me profoundly. Clearly there was something very wrong when Tara Winter, of all people, could be caught babbling. Usually I was lucky if I could get a one word answer out of her.

Worse still, when the others had returned, Emily said nothing at all, which was almost as disturbing as Tara's babbling.

After dinner, we met in the family room. Emily and Tara were upstairs, with Aunt Rose and Grandma Esme hovering over them as they tried to comfort the sisters. They'd insisted that Rob and Ian wait downstairs. Neither had taken that order particularly well.

"How did things with William go?" Ian asked Rob.

Rob stared out the window into the night's blackness. "He thinks he owns them."

I frowned. How could he _own_ them? They were his children, not his property!

"What?" Ian asked.

"He thinks that since he created them, he owns them and that they ought to be with him."

My jaw dropped. After he had manipulated them for years, how could he still logically think that they would want anything to do with him?

"He also asked about Nessie," Rob said distastefully. "He probably thought she would make a nice addition to his collection."

Absolute silence reigned for a moment. William Taylor thought that _I_ would join _him_? How stupid was this guy? I shifted closer to Jacob instinctively, who wrapped his arm tighter around me.

"Would anyone mind at all if I ripped one of his limbs off?" Uncle Emmett asked, suddenly serious. "Well, I'll try to keep it to one, anyway."

"Be my guest," Ian said darkly.

"Please do," Rob added.

"Dibs on the head," Jacob argued.

Panic shot through me. "No!" I said quickly. The last thing I wanted was to have Jacob facing off with a vampire who had centuries of experience in killing.

They all ignored me. "You can't put a dibs the head," Dad argued, his brow creasing.

I rolled my eyes. They could be as bad as Uncle Emmett.

Jacob twisted around to look at him. "Oh yeah? And why's that, Edward?"

"I'm her father."

"So what makes you so special? Doesn't the uncle get any say anymore?" asked Uncle Emmett, crossing his bulky arms.

"No," Dad and Jacob said simultaneously.

I sighed. "And what about me?"

Jacob looked at me with surprise. "You want to take William Taylor?" His expression changed to one of concern.

"Right on, Ness!" Uncle Emmett boomed before I could say anything. "That's my girl."

"No, she's my girl," Jacob disputed, his arm tightening futher.

"Please, all of you stop!" I said, allowing my exasperation to colour my tone. "No one is taking William Taylor. Well, unless Ian and Rob want to, and even then, I would rather you didn't," I told the two.

"Favouritism!" Uncle Emmett crowed.

"All right, all right," said Grandpa Carlisle. "Enough. Emmett, do _try_ to keep your hands to yourself."

Uncle Emmett snorted. "I'm not making any promises."

"I don't want any of you going after William Taylor. It's not because I don't think that you could," I said before Uncle Emmett could protest. "But because I don't want any of you to get hurt. Besides, think of Emily and Tara."

"I don't think they'd mind too much," Rob muttered.

Ian nodded in agreement, his golden eyes smouldering with unsuppressed hatred. "I know I wouldn't."

Grandpa Carlisle spoke next. "No, I think Nessie has a point. I think they would mind a little more than you might think. While Emily plainly despises him, she still agreed to speak to him at the hospital. I doubt she would have given him that chance if she hated him as much as you suppose."

"And what about Tara?" asked Ian.

"I believe Tara has too much compassion to truly wish death upon anyone. Can you imagine the position that you would put them in if any of you had his death on your hands?"

That certainly fit with what I knew of them. I looked at Rob and Ian, who were deep in thought. Rob spoke first. "You're right, I suppose. They would forgive us for it, but I know that Emily would find some way to blame herself."

Ian nodded his agreement, his gaze still distant. "She has a horrible habit of doing that."

"So what're we going to do now?" Dad asked. "We can't stay here."

"Absolutely not," Rob agreed. "It's far too dangerous."

I had known that we would probably have to leave. I sighed quietly. I'd come to like Vancouver. I liked my school, minus Melina and Jeff.

"And your English teacher," Dad muttered.

Aunt Alice shuddered at the mention of the memorably unfashionable Mr. Wickham.

Rob and Ian glanced at Dad with questioning eyes, but with no expectation of having their unspoken question answered.

"I agree with Rob," Uncle Jasper said after a moment.

My eyes flicked to Rob. I tried to contain my shock at his lack of a reaction. On the rare occasions that Uncle Jasper spoke to him, Rob would refuse to meet his eyes and try to add to the already-substantial distance between them, but not this time. Rob nodded to Uncle Jasper with what looked like gratitude and even the slightest look of camaraderie. _What is going _on _with the world today?_ I wondered.

"There's a fairly simple way to eliminate that threat," Ian reminded us.

I couldn't blame him for feeling that way, of course. I was sure that if anyone had put Jacob in the position that Emily and Tara currently found themselves in, I wouldn't have had nearly as much restraint as Ian had shown.

"If there is a way to resolve this in a non-violent fashion, I would like to do it," Grandpa Carlisle said. "Misguided though he may be, he hasn't threatened us directly, and he has a family depending on him."

"I appreciate your spirit of non-violence, Carlisle," Ian said, his tone uncharacteristically cold. "But I'm not only talking about the threat that he presents to us. As long as he's alive, more women will die, not to mention those that will die to feed his growing family."

"So what would you suggest?" asked Grandpa Carlisle softly.

Ian's eyes took on a frigid, almost demonic look. "Wipe them all out."

I shuddered involuntarily. I had never heard Ian use a tone like that, and I had never expected to.

"Wipe out the entire family?" Grandpa Carlisle asked in the same soft tone, only with a hint of pain.

"There must be another way," Uncle Jasper said. "I think we ought to leave the law enforcing in the hands of the law enforcement and just vacate the area."

"Then I want to take him myself," Ian insisted. "I won't wait for him to follow us."

"Ian," said Rob, using the tone of authority that he so rarely used with his family. "You will not go after William, especially not on your own."

"But the Volturi, Rob?" Ian challenged. "Do we really want them here?"

My blood ran cold at the mention of the word. I'd almost managed to forget about them in the whirlwind of events that had swept through our lives over the past few weeks.

"What's to stop them from coming here as soon as they've finished with Taylor?"

"Has there been any change?" Rob asked Aunt Alice.

She shook her head. "I haven't been able to see anything," she said in a mildly pouty tone. "If they've decided anything, they're hiding it somehow."

"Then why fear what may not happen?" Grandpa Carlisle asked. "I think we ought to leave, but not permanently."

I blinked. How would that work?

"What do you mean?" Rob asked, mirroring my thoughts. "Where would we go? And before we decide that, I think we ought to decide whether or not we will stay with you."

"Nonsense," said Aunt Alice quickly. "You're family. Of course you'll stay with us."

Rob smiled at her, but was clearly waiting for Grandpa Carlisle.

"Of course," my grandfather replied with a warm smile. "If you wish to stay with us, I hope you know that you are more than welcome. As Alice said, you are our family."

Rob glanced at Ian, who was staring out the window, radiating with animosity. "We will stay as long as we are not endangering your family."

"Then we should already be gone," Ian muttered.

Rob sighed, but didn't look at him again.

I was amazed by the transformation. Rob was taking this much more calmly than I'd imagined was possible for him.

"Good," said Grandpa Carlisle, smiling.

"Now you were saying about not leaving permanently?"

Grandpa Carlisle explained his idea to us for the following half hour. Jacob leaned forward, drinking in every word eagerly, and nodding in agreement.

"Will the pack agree to such an initiative?" asked Grandpa Carlisle of Jacob.

Jacob smiled wryly. "Who could say no to me?"


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Ian and Rob went upstairs to tell Emily, Tara, Aunt Rose and Grandma Esme about Grandpa Carlisle's plan. Jacob and I decided to go for a walk on our trail. On our way out, I could hear Tara firing questions at Ian and Rob faster even a vampire could have answered. Emily remained alarmingly silent.

"Wow," Jacob said, impressed. "That kid can _talk_."

"That 'kid' is like, forty years older than you," I laughed.

He chuckled as well as he threaded his fingers through mine. "So…winter formal."

I glanced at him with surprise. Of all of the topics he could have chose to discuss, he wanted to talk about _winter formal_? "What about winter formal?"

"Do you uh…do you want to go?"

I restrained the 'no' that was fighting to explode out of my mouth. "Do you…want to go?" I could imagine that Jacob would want to go winter formal. He liked them about as much as Mom and me.

"Well, yeah."

"_Really_?" I cursed the evident surprise in my voice. I had meant to say it with far more nonchalance.

"Yeah."

That was definitely unusual. "Well, then you should've known that you don't need to ask me. If you want to go, I'm there." I'd assumed that that was a given.

He smiled. "Well, thanks Ness, but I don't want you to force you through it if you really don't want to go."

"As long as you're there, I can grin and bear it. Besides, Aunt Alice will be over the moon." I couldn't believe that he didn't know all of this. Wherever he was, that was where I wanted to be, where I belonged.

"Great," he beamed. "I think you'll like it."

I doubted that, but I'd tolerate it.

Several horrible days of Emily's silence and Tara's babbling passed. School was all but forgotten as there was no way that Rob and Ian were going to ask them to go to school, and they certainly weren't about to just leave them at home. Aunt Alice didn't want to go, as she was concerned for Emily and neither did Uncle Jasper. Aunt Rose decided to stay to keep an eye on Tara, which meant Uncle Emmett was home as well. Mom stayed to help my grandmother and aunts look after Emily and Tara, which kept Dad home as well, which meant that Dad also wanted me home, which of course meant Jacob would be staying home.

Finally, after receiving a concerned phone call from the principal's office about our spotty attendance, we decided to return to class.

I met Jacob at breakfast the morning after the phone call. Dad had banished him back to the basement now that things were resuming some semblance of normality. Well, as normal as things were ever going to get for our family. He had managed to eat seven pieces of French toast with one hand before I'd even had time to pour my cereal. Grandpa Carlisle had insisted on casting and slinging his arm, despite the fact that his arm was almost fully healed.

"'Morning, everyone," Emily said with a smile.

My spoon dropped from my hand and glanced off of the side of my cereal bowl to clatter to the floor loudly. Emily was _talking_. I watched her with awe as she prepared her customary morning coffee. I looked around the room to make sure that I wasn't the only one finding this odd. By the concerned look that passed between my grandparents, apparently I wasn't.

"There you go," Jacob said, placing the spoon back in the bowl.

Aunt Rose sighed dramatically. "Well she's obviously going to need a new one, isn't she?" She snatched the spoon out of the bowl and replaced it with a clean one.

Their rivalry was getting old very quickly. Besides, it wasn't like the germs could possibly hurt me. I looked back at Emily, who was smiling at Rob now. He stopped dead and looked at her for a moment in complete astonishment, and then at all of us.

"Uh…c-car's filling up," he said distractedly, his eyes still following his wife's every movement. "Rosalie, Emmett's waiting for you in the garage."

She nodded as she passed him a blood packet. "I'm on my way."

"Edward and Bella are waiting for the two of you in the Volvo," Ian informed Jacob and me, snatching Rob's blood packet and taking a drink. He wiped the back of his hand across his mouth and handed the packet back to Rob before disappearing again. I looked at the half-empty packet longingly. Mom had told me that it would be better to leave the packets to those who had no other dietary choice. Besides, the Winters were even newer to the vegetarian diet than we were, and Rob and Ian found it especially difficult.

Jacob threw the last half of the omelette he was devouring into his mouth. "C'mon, Ness," he said, offering me a hand.

"There's still room in the Porsche if you want to go, Em," Rob said hesitantly.

"Of course I'll go," she said with a slight smile. She dumped the remnants of her coffee into the sink and set the mug on the counter. "But I think I'll walk this morning."

He frowned. "Are you sure?"

She kissed him lightly in response, and took the blood packet from him. "You really should cut down, you know," she said quietly. "Your eyes are going to turn red."

Rob stared at her in wordless surprise as she sealed the packet and put it back in the fridge. "I'll meet you at school, then," he said with wonder.

"I think I want to walk too, Jake," I told him. _I want to talk to Emily_, I told him using my gift.

He nodded. "Sure. See you in a bit." He kissed me, making my knees go weak and my heart falter. He gave me my favourite smile before following Rob, who was still looking at Emily over his shoulder.

"If that's okay with you," I added quickly as her stunning blue eyes turned to me.

"No problem." She smiled again. She slung her book bag over her shoulder and led the way.

"Have a good day," Grandma Esme called after us.

"Thanks, Esme," Emily replied before shutting the front door.

We were just in time to watch Uncle Emmett tear down the winding drive in his Lamborghini, Aunt Rose at his side. We followed the driveway until we were several dozen metres from the highway. We walked parallel to the highway at a pace that was slightly faster than natural.

"Emily, are you okay?" I asked when I could contain my question no longer.

She didn't look at me. "Of course I'm all right. Why ever wouldn't I be?"

"You can be honest with me. Rob didn't ask me to talk to you or anything."

She gave another sad smile. "I know he didn't. I would have known if he had."

I furrowed my brow slightly. "How would you have known?"

She flashed me what I imagined was intended as a small smile, but it came out as a mild grimace. "You, Jasper, Alice, Bella, Edward and Tara aren't the only ones with a gift."

My frown deepened. "You have a gift?"

Emily nodded. "I can tell when people are lying."

"Well yeah, so can I, but –"

"No, it's more than that." She focused her eyes on mine again. "Everything people say has…has an aura to it, as I call it. When someone's telling me the truth, I can see it in their words. When they're being dishonest, I can see that as well. I don't have to be looking them in the eyes, but when I do, I can see how far or how close what they are saying is to the truth."

"You never told me that."

"I know."

"Does anyone else know?"

"Well, pretty much everyone, really."

"Why did you never tell me, though?"

"I don't know," she replied. "It never really came up."

"So how would you have known if Rob had asked me?"

She looked away again. "It was in your choice of words. I was looking at you when you said that you 'wanted' to walk to school. If someone had asked you, you hadn't really have wanted to walk to school. I would have seen that and assumed that someone had asked you to, and knowing my husband as I do, I would have guessed it to be him."

I raised my eyebrows slightly, impressed. She clearly had mastered the use of her gift. But she was also trying to change the subject, which I had not missed.

"Wow. That's pretty cool, but I want to know how you're doing."

She bit her lip. "Honestly?"

"Honestly and truly."

She slowed slightly and took a deep breath. "I've been worse."

"That bad?"

She sighed heavily. "I've been trying to act normally, for Rob's sake. I know he's out of his mind with worry. He hates not being able to help me."

That sounded like an Emily thing to do. "Actually, I think he's a little more worried after your performance this morning."

"I know," she said sadly. "I just want him to be happy."

"And he just wants you to be happy."

"Exactly. And he's happy as long as I'm happy. He's not a bad man, Nessie."

I looked at her sharply. "What are you talking about?"

"I know you don't like him because of the way he treats Jasper."

I bit my lip. She was right, of course, but I wasn't about to admit that. "I don't think he's a bad man."

"But you don't like him," she pointed out.

I looked at her sharply.

She chuckled slightly. "Come on, Nessie. You've never made that much of a secret. I don't like the way he treats Jasper, either, but I can understand why he does." She sighed. "Did you ever hear the story of how Rob came to be a vampire?"

"I know Uncle Jasper changed him."

She twisted the sapphire engagement ring that glittered on her finger. She didn't wear it often to school, as it was slightly suspicious, especially when worn by a "sophomore". She would wear both her wedding and engagement rings around the house, but she was always careful to keep the charade. She'd told me that she usually wore it as a reconciliatory gesture after she and Rob had gotten into a fight. "Rob was born in Alexandria County, Virginia in 1842, the oldest of eight children. His father was an economist, and wanted Rob to follow in his footsteps. Rob, however, had his own ideas. That created a considerable amount of tension between Rob and his father.

"In 1867, Rob volunteered to take his younger sister to see their aunt and her family. They lived near the American-Mexican border. The Civil War had been over for two years, so he didn't anticipate any danger. He doesn't remember when or where, but he remembers stopping to pick up a traveler by the side of the road, a traveler that introduced himself as Jasper Whitlock."

I swallowed hard as I waited for her to continue.

She took another breath. "He was barely in the carriage before he attacked them. He bit Rob first, and then turned on Rob's twelve-year-old sister, Lucy."

I closed my eyes for a moment. _He's a different person,_ I reminded myself. Jasper Whitlock may have been twisted, but I knew for a fact that Jasper Cullen was a much different person.

"Rob was changing while Jasper killed Lucy, so there was nothing he could have done, but he has always blamed himself."

I felt a flood of compassion for him. I couldn't even begin to imagine what that would be like.

"He was an exemplary fighter, Jasper tells me, and he and Maria considered keeping him. Rob was always resistant to Jasper's authority, even when he used his gift, but he fought well, and proved himself to be an asset. That was probably the only thing that spared him. Maria wasn't particularly fond of insubordinate newborns, and they tended to die a little sooner than the others as a result. Rob is unsure as to how much time passed, but Jasper believes it was almost thirty years. During that time, he and Rob had more than a few brawls, and they both have the scars to prove it.

"One night, Rob witnessed Jasper and Maria dispatching three unneeded newborns. Confused and wary, he decided to leave, but he swore on the memory of his sister that he would have his revenge against Jasper. He had always known that after a time some of the newborns would disappear, but he had never realized that it was Jasper and Maria causing the disappearances.

"He ran north for days, and only when he was sure that they had not followed him did he stop. In the subsequent years, he lived all across the continent. As he travelled, he learned more and more about the new world he found himself in.

"By the 1920's, he decided that he would see the rest of the world, as well. He swam across the Atlantic Ocean, landing in Ireland. From there, he went to England where he spent almost two decades.

"In 1942, he was exploring France when he came across a newborn loose in the French countryside. He'd only been changed days before by a vampire that was preying on the corpses of Dieppe."

I shuddered. "Who was he?"

She smiled slightly. "His name was Private Ian McMaster."

My eyes widened. "Ian was a soldier?"

She nodded. "He joined the Canadian Air Force in 1939, and was shot down during the battle of Dieppe. He was barely alive when a ravenous French vampire came across him. He had only managed to bite Ian when a bomb exploded nearby. It scared him off, and he left Ian there to change. Rob taught him almost everything he knew, though he preferred to keep his lessons from his days as a newborn soldier to himself. They went back to North America together, and they met us in 1967." She fell silent, to allow the flurry of information to sink in.

"Wow," was all I could say. That explained so much about Rob. I could hardly blame him for despising the man that my uncle had been. "But…he's forgiven him, hasn't he? I mean, they were almost civil yesterday."

Emily pursed her lips. "He's trying. He's coming to accept that Jasper is not the man that he knew, but it's difficult for him. He tries not to be so obvious about his dislike for him because he respects my friendship with Jasper, but I don't know if he'll ever be able to fully forgive him."

This new information changed everything I'd thought I'd known about Rob. I felt a twinge of guilt for judging him so quickly, before I'd even known all of the facts. I'd written him off as angry and bitter, completely insensitive to the feelings of others.

Emily sighed. "I didn't figure he would tell you himself. He wouldn't want you to think badly of your uncle, but you know that Jasper is changed, don't you?" she asked me, her piercing eyes searching mine.

"I know," I said honestly, knowing that she would be looking for truthfulness in my reply.

She nodded, satisfied with my response. "Good."

"Emily?"

"Yes?"

"Something that you'll learn about me is that I'm not easily distracted."

She gave a tiny smile. "I have noticed. What do you want to know?"

"I want to know how you're feeling."

She looked away. "Well, I'm not quite sure if there's a word for it."

"So use more than one."

She lowered her eyes again. "Angry…confused…profoundly saddened…sick… lonely… ashamed…"

Silence reigned for several long moments. I couldn't seem to think of anything to say that would make a difference.

"I don't want you worrying about me," she said finally. "You have more important things to worry about than fussing about me. Trust me, Rob has it covered."

"I know I don't, but you don't have to pretend, either. Trust me, you're not fooling him. It's okay to need people, you know," I said softly. "You don't always have to have it together."

She considered that for a moment. "I suppose you're right. But when I look at what this is doing to Rob…to Ian and Tara…I don't want to make it worse for them, or for you and your family. I've never been used to depending on people. People have always depended on _me_. I've always had to be the strong one."

That didn't surprise me. That was probably to be expected after she'd practically raised five girls. "They're going to handle it in their own way. The best thing you can do for them is compartmentalize it for yourself."

Emily half-smiled. "You're a smart girl, Nessie."

That lit my cheeks instantly. "Er, thanks," I said awkwardly. After a moment, I added, "You know, Grandpa Carlisle and Grandma Esme are worried too."

She sighed quietly. "I know. They're better to me than I deserve. Esme is like the mother I never had and Carlisle is like the father mine should have been like."

I fidgeted in the awkward silence that followed. It lasted until we arrived at the school mere moments before it was due to start. When we arrived, Rob was hovering nervously in front of the Reventón. I instantly felt a ripple of sympathy for the misunderstood vampire, followed closely by acute guilt. I'd never even given him a chance.

He glanced up as we approached. "There you are!" he exclaimed and began to walk towards us. He enveloped Emily in a tight embrace.

Emily frowned slightly, but said nothing as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Jacob's waiting for you by your classroom, Nessie," Rob informed me, his arm still wrapped firmly around Emily's waist.

I nodded and took off in the direction of my class.

"Let's skip," I heard Rob say as I walked away. "I want to talk to you."

I met Jacob in front of my English class.

"Well took you long enough," he grinned hugely. "Rob started freaking out the minute we drove away."

I laughed. "So how much time do we have before class?"

"Uh…two minutes."

I sighed. After that, I'd have to wait till lunch to see him. "I don't see why you couldn't just take some sophomore classes."

"Because I'm a junior."

"A junior that could take some sophomore classes."

It was his turn to laugh now. "Get to class, silly girl. I think Alice wants to tell you something," he said, glancing inside the classroom.

I looked as well. Aunt Alice was practically bouncing in her seat towards the back of the room, which seemed to be garnering her even more attention than usual from Mr. Wickham. I shuddered at his latest fashion misdemeanour. It must have been something very interesting if my Aunt Alice, of all people, hadn't noticed (or was dwelling on) a fashion blunder that had been obvious even to me.

I sighed at the prospect of having to be Jacob-less for the next four hours. "Well, I'll see you at lunch."

"Yep," he replied. He wound his good arm around my waist and gave me a bone-melting kiss.

I swaggered into class and collapsed into my chair adjacent Aunt Alice. No matter how many times he kissed me, I was sure that I would never cease to be dazzled.

"Finally!" Aunt Alice said impatiently. "I've had a vision."

I looked at her "Okay…" That wasn't exactly unusual. It certainly wasn't anything deserving of this level of animation.

She rolled her eyes. "Well I obviously wouldn't be this excited if it were just a normal vision, now would I?"

I frowned slightly. "Is this a trick question?"

Aunt Alice sighed dramatically. "You're too much like Bella for your own good. Now hurry up and ask me what it was about!"

"What was it about?" I asked obediently.

"Lunch this afternoon," she said with a suddenly-demonic smile.

I was instantly suspicious. "What's going to happen?"

"Oh, you'll see."

I gave her a look. "You said all that just to tell me to wait till lunch?"

"Yes."

I sighed and flipped my book open.

"Uh-oh," Aunt Alice murmured at lunch that afternoon. We'd congregated at our usual table, but Uncle Emmett had had to scare a freshman group, who'd been looking for a quiet place to study, to get it.

Everyone turned to look at her. "Uh-oh?" Emily asked warily.

"Didn't see that coming," Aunt Alice muttered, her gaze still distant as she watched the future play out in her head.

I now understood the uh-oh. It had to be bad if Aunt Alice hadn't seen it coming. That meant that it was last-minute, and that it was therefore unavoidable.

"Rob, how're you feeling today?" she asked suddenly.

Rob was taken off-guard by the sudden change in the direction of the conversation. "Um…I'm fine, I suppose?"

"Would you say that you're particularly agitated today?"

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Alice, what's going on?"

"Oh, you'll see," she said with a smirk. "Now this is important: are you feeling agitated?"

"Well, before you started with your vague answers, I wasn't."

Emily gave him one of her bone-chilling looks of distinct disapproval. "Robin."

He sighed. "Fine. Alice, I apologize."

"Wow, Rob," Uncle Emmett said as he played with the sandwich on his plate. "I'm surprised Mommy didn't make you wash out your mouth with soap."

Emily rolled her eyes. Rob grinned. He seemed to be finally grasping the concept of a joke.

"Accepted," Aunt Alice said to Rob. "And what about yourself, Ian? Not annoyed at all today, are we?"

"No," he said cagily. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason," she said quickly.

Dad growled suddenly. "Alice, you're driving me crazy! What's happening?"

"You'll see, you'll see," she said as she slid Tara a five dollar bill. "Thank you for your services."

Tara took the bill with a slight blush.

Ian frowned slightly. "What's that about?"

"You know, it's very convenient to have a super-shield in the family," Aunt Alice said, her eyes still on her food.

"Traitor," Rob muttered.

"Oh, that is just bloody unfair," Dad added irately, glaring coldly at Tara and Aunt Alice.

Tara's blush deepened. "I thought you said you were going to be subtle about it, Alice."

Aunt Alice looked up defensively. "Why, that was subtle."

Uncle Emmett snorted.

Each member of my family took turns bothering Aunt Alice about what was going to happen. Uncle Jasper accused her of not trusting him. Dad accused her of cheating. Uncle Emmett whined about the injustice of being the only one without a gift. Aunt Rose politely reminded him that neither she nor my grandparents had gifts, and then she and Mom accused Aunt Alice of betraying the sisterhood.

"The _sisterhood_? Oh please. You sound like a cult," Uncle Emmett told Mom, and then turned back to Aunt Alice. "Come on, Alice! Do it for your favourite brother!"

She snorted. "Edward's my favourite brother."

"And yet still you won't tell me," Dad complained.

"You won't have to wait long," she said, her smirk broadening.

I frowned and glanced over my shoulder. A dawn of realization swept over me as I caught sight of Jeff and his cronies entering the cafeteria. "Oh dear," I said quietly.

"What?" Emily asked, glancing in the same direction. A sly smile spread over her face. "Oh. Well. Have fun, Tara."

"Serves you right for shielding her," Dad muttered.

"In all fairness," Ian said. "It _was_ for five bucks."

The conversation was forced to end as Jeff came to stand in front of the table. "Hey, Tara."

Tara went from pale to cherry-red in the span of two seconds. She nodded her head politely, but shielded her face with her hair.

Ian wrapped his arm around Tara, making no effort to be inconspicuous about it whatsoever. He casually played with Tara's emerald-and-diamond engagement ring.

Jeff glanced at it, but had clearly missed the connection. "So, um, about winter formal…"

Ian's eyes grew wider. I saw the hand that wasn't playing with Tara's ring curl into a fist. He took a deep breath and counted quietly before exhaling.

Emily clapped a hand over her mouth to keep her laughter silent. Tara shot her a mortified glare.

"Would you uh…would you like to go with me?"

"She isn't going _anywhere_ with you," Ian said, suddenly on his feet. His speed amazed me.

I cringed, hoping that he wasn't feeling as homicidal as he looked. He began to calm against his will as Uncle Jasper stared at him. He picked up Tara's left hand and deliberately displayed the ring. "Does this give you any hints, Whitman?"

Jeff looked at the ring again. "Nice rock," he nodded.

"It's not a _rock_, it's an engagement ring."

Jeff's face fell.

_Well finally,_ I thought, _Took him long enough!_ "You're getting married?" he demanded of Tara. "To who?"

Ian rolled his eyes. "To _me_."

"I can't believe that you two are still an item," he said miserably.

"Wow," Uncle Emmett whispered, genuinely impressed. "And you say _I'm_ a moron."

"Aren't you two a bit young to get married?" Jeff asked them now.

Uncle Emmett burst out laughing, but was silenced by a sharp blow to the back of his head, delivered by an unimpressed Aunt Alice.

Jeff glanced at Uncle Emmett and smiled uneasily. He walked away dejectedly after a few moments of awkward silence.

"Hey, Ren-eez-me," said one that I identified as Will. I tried not to allow his horrible pronunciation of my name annoy me. Jacob was suddenly serious. I felt his arm constricting around me.

"Hi, Will," I said quietly as my cheeks grew warm.

"Do you um…do you have, you know…have uh…a date? You know, to the winter formal?"

I stared at him in disbelief for several seconds. He'd never taken the slightest interest in me before. "Um…yeah," I said, glancing at Jacob, who was trembling slightly, his expression mirroring Ian's.

"Oh," Will said simply, then slunk off to follow the crestfallen Jeff, who'd been waiting for him by the cafeteria door.

Barely thirty seconds passed before the next hopeful arrived. "Hey, you're Emily, right?"

Rob's smirk froze on his face. It reappeared suddenly on Ian's.

Emily turned around slowly. The one that I recognized as Jared was smiling shyly at her. Emily blinked. "Um…no, I think you're looking for a different Emily."

He blanched. "You're not Emily Winter?"

She bit her lip. "Um…I uh…" Her eyes flickered to Tara, who was trying bravely not to laugh aloud. "Yes," she admitted dejectedly.

"Oh good," he said, sighing with relief. "So…winter formal –"

"No," she said cutting him off before he could say anything else. "Have a nice day." She turned around, her eyes wide. As soon as Jeff and Company had left, she glared murderously at Aunt Alice. "You will pay for this. I don't know when, I don't know how, but someday, somehow, you _will_."

Aunt Alice was smiling broadly now as she played with her food. "Uh-huh."

"'Oh, calm down, Ian,'" Ian quoted tauntingly. "'It's not such a big deal. There's no need to be hostile about it.'"

Rob glared at him, his face livid. I had to admit, though, I was impressed. I'd figured that he'd have snapped.

"Edward, tell me again, how strongly opposed is Carlisle to hunting humans?" Rob asked darkly as he watched Jared go.

"On a scale of one to ten?" asked Dad. "I'd say…one hundred."

"And how angry would he be if I cheated?"

"Not angry, disappointed."

"Fine. How disappointed would he be?"

"Scale of one to ten?"

"Okay, I get the point."

"I don't know, I thought that was pretty funny myself," Uncle Emmett laughed.

Gym class followed lunch. As the gym classes were still combined, Jacob walked with us. I could hear Aunt Alice as she chattered on about something, but I'd never had a particularly easy time concentrating when I had a tall, handsome werewolf at my side.

Jacob chuckled as my thoughts were transmitted through our joined hands. "I actually dazzle you?" he whispered.

"You have no idea," I whispered back.

"Are you listening to anything that I'm saying, Renesmee?" asked Aunt Alice suddenly.

"Yes, Aunt Alice," I said quickly. "Every word."

Jacob snickered.

"Well if you're listening, then why is the mutt snickering?"

"Private joke."

She narrowed her eyes disbelievingly. "Anyway, so as I was saying…"

"So is Edward aware that he's not the only one who has that effect on women?" Jacob asked me quietly.

"He is now," Dad said as he passed us.

I sighed as a familiar heat warmed my face. Of all the possible gifts that my father could have had, he just _had_ to get mind-reading.

After we'd changed into our horrific gym uniforms, Aunt Alice and I joined the stream of girls exiting the change rooms and to the northern side of the gym where the rock-climbing wall was situated. I didn't miss the guarded glances of awe that the other girls shot at me. I frowned slightly. What had I done now?

As we approached the wall, I caught sight of the cracks I'd left in the floor when I'd jumped off the wall in my eagerness to get to Jacob. That explained the stares.

"There's a reason that we don't just launch ourselves off of twenty-foot walls, Renesmee," Dad said in a quiet, censorious tone as Aunt Alice and I reached the little cluster of Winters and Cullens that had formed at the fringe of the crowd.

"I know, Dad," I said with a sigh. This was going to be awkward enough without him scolding me.

"Breaches like this are serious, Nessie. Humans tend to be too curious for their own good. Like someone else I know."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Okay, Dad, I get the point."

"Apparently not. You've forgotten the first rule."

"Right. Okay, _Edward_, I get the point."

"Much better."

"All right, chatter-boxes," Mr. Wilkes said as he strode into the room. "Today, we're going to rock-climb, as you've probably already gathered. Now I'd rather not have anyone else falling off of walls, please and thank you," he said, glancing at Jacob who was sitting on the bench, pretending that he was still injured. He gave Mr. Wilkes an antagonizing smile.

"So choose your belayers, and we'll get going."

Aunt Alice elected to go first this time. She strapped herself into the harness (which took some doing, as she was much smaller than the average person who wore it) and began to climb. Since there wasn't much of a challenge to it for any of us, she reached the top long before the humans.

"Well done, Alice!" Mr. Wilkes commended.

Aunt Alice beamed and belayed her way back down. "_That_ is how you get off of a rock climbing wall," she told me.

I sighed. "I get enough of this from Da –"

"Who?"

I began again. "I get enough of this from Edward, Alice. I don't need you to start in on me, too."

As I strapped myself in, I looked over at Jacob. Melina was sitting beside him, her body far closer to his than I was willing to tolerate.

"Nessie," Dad said warningly from my left side as my hands tightened on the stones. Mom stood at the bottom of the wall, acting as his unnecessary belayer.

I exhaled and refocused my attention. I took Aunt Alice's advice and stumbled my way up the wall, careful to keep pace with the humans. I could have easily done it in thirty seconds, but I was beginning to realize the necessity of maintaining our false identities, even though I slipped up more than anyone else in my family.

"That was very well done, Nessie," Mom said proudly once I'd reached the bottom. "Very human-ish."

I gave her a forced smile as I wrestled my way out of the harness, jealousy burning in my veins. I'd never tasted fresh human blood, but if I were ever going to start, Melina would definitely have been my first victim.

"Happy thoughts, Nessie, happy thoughts," Dad murmured.

I clenched my fists to keep from thinking the frosty, disrespectful thoughts that were just begging to be unleashed.

"All right, once everyone's been up once, you're all going to go up again, and this time you're going to focus on getting up as quickly as you can," Mr. Wilkes said from somewhere amidst the throng of students. The man wasn't particularly tall, so he was easily missed in the sea faces.

I glanced at the wall as an excuse not to look at Melina. Half of the students were still struggling to reach the top.

"Eh! Nessie! Wake up!" Aunt Alice said, reaching up to wave a hand in front of my face. "It's your turn."

I blinked. Hadn't I just gone? "What are you talking about? It's your turn."

"No, I just went. You were daydreaming the whole time."

I sighed and climbed back into the harness before restarting the ridiculously easy ascent. It was only after I was three-quarters of the way up the wall that I cautioned another look at Melina and Jacob. She was pressed against his side and flirting like an idiot. I released the handholds and leaned back against the rope to keep from damaging the rocks.

"Nessie?" Aunt Alice asked worriedly. "Are you all right?"

"I'm just magnificent," I lied poorly.

I was relieved when school finally ended and Melina was still alive. I had more self-control than I'd thought.

"That was unbelievably awkward," Jacob shuddered as we walked to the car.

"I was thinking more along the lines of homicide-inspiring," I said, exhaling. I'd barely allowed myself to breathe while I was in class. I was afraid that if I caught her scent, I'd end up tearing her throat out in front of the entire class.

Jacob grinned at me suddenly. "Aw, were you jealous?"

"That's a bit of an understatement."

His brow furrowed. "Why would you be jealous of her? You know I'm not interested in her. I don't even see other girls that way anymore."

"Why not?"

"Well, they're not you," he said, as though I'd missed something incredibly obvious.

I felt a little surge of happiness light up my insides, and a touch of smugness. I smiled involuntarily. "So…you don't think Melina's pretty?"

"If she is, I haven't noticed." He sighed longingly. "I wish that I could show you what I mean. Imprinting on you changed everything. My world, my _life_, it suddenly became clear that it was all about you, and it had been all along, I just hadn't known it."

I forced down the giggle of ecstasy that I felt building as I let him talk.

"It's sort of like trying to compare a huge, mouth-watering, five-tier chocolate cake with a hard candy." I laughed at his food analogy. "While the candy may be nice, it's nothing compared to the cake. I don't notice beauty in other girls anymore. It's all about you."

A surge of emotion brought tears to my eyes, to my disgrace. That was, without question, the sweetest thing I'd ever heard. I looked away in an attempt to hide them.

"Nessie?" Jacob asked worriedly, misinterpreting my reaction.

"No, no, I'm all right," I said quickly, blinking my eyes rapidly. "Sorry. Just got a little caught up in the moment."

He chuckled quietly. "I love _you_, silly Nessie. Don't worry about Melina." He took my hand and pressed it to his soft, warm lips.

"I love you too, Jake," I said with a smile.

"And I love you three!" Uncle Emmett laughed as he walked up to us, his arm wrapped around Aunt Rose. "Sorry to break up the love-fest, but Edward wants to get going."

I sighed. No moment was sacred with Uncle Emmett around.

Aunt Rose frowned slightly, no doubt noticing how moist my eyelashes were. She smoothed my hair. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Aunt Rose," I replied honestly. I was better than fine.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" she asked, casting Jacob a scathing look.

"No, no," I said quickly. "Really, I'm okay."

"All right." She gave me a small smile and stroked my cheek. "As long as you're okay."

"Definitely."

Jacob and I walked hand-in-hand to my father's car. Uncle Emmett, thankfully, was driving his Lamborghini today.

Mom turned to look at me as I slid into the seat diagonal to hers. "You did a really good job in gym class today, Nessie. I'm very proud of you."

Of course, I blushed. "Thanks, Mom."

"You did much better," Dad concurred. "Pretending to be human just takes some practice and getting used to, that's all."

I cringed as I thought of the cracks in the gym floor. "How are we going to explain that to Mr. Wilkes?" I asked.

"Oh, I think Emily's taken care of that," he said, the smile evident in his voice.

I chuckled as I recalled the effect that Emily had on him. "I'll bet."

"How was your walk this morning?" Mom asked casually, although I could hear her curiosity burning behind the question. My curious nature was another inherent gift that I'd received from my mother.

"Very educational," I said simply, sobering slightly at the memory of Emily's retelling of Rob's history.

When we got home, we found everyone standing in the family room, divided into very separate groups. The Winters stood to the right side of the room whilst my family stood towards the right.

"You're scared," Emily was taunting Uncle Emmett.

He guffawed loudly at this. "Yes, I'm just _quaking _in front of the two-foot Canadian."

"Five-foot-two, thank you _very_ much," she said sourly.

"What're you all arguing about this time?" Mom asked from behind me.

"Consider yourselves officially challenged to a hockey game," Rob said with a slightly-mocking grin.

"_Another_ hockey game?" Jacob asked darkly. "Come on, guys. You proved you're good, we get it."

"Are you afraid of being embarrassed?" Emily asked sympathetically.

"Again?" Rob grinned menacingly.

"No hockey game," Jacob said firmly.

"That's all right. We understand if it's too much for you," Emily said. "But I at least expected Emmett to have some backbone. Oh well," she said with a sigh. "I suppose I was wrong. I guess he's just a big…oversized…chicken." She said the words slowly, her eyes locked on Uncle Emmett.

Uncle Emmett growled in response. "Bring it, Tiny."

I sighed. He was completely unable to resist being challenged.

Emily flashed him a glittering smile. "Excellent. Lace up." She strode out of the room confidently with Rob in toe.

Jacob shot Tara a desperate glance. She shrugged apologetically. "If I knew how to stop her, I'd have done it years ago."

"All right, now do you all understand the rules?" Rob asked as he dribbled the puck, searching each face.

"I'm not entirely sure that I do," Grandpa Carlisle said with a slight frown. He'd never played hockey before.

"Learn as you go," Uncle Emmett said dismissively. "Let's do this!"

"What're the teams?" asked Aunt Rose as she tried to emulate Tara and Emily's effortless grace.

"Us versus them," Uncle Emmett suggested eagerly.

"Done," Rob confirmed. He and Emily exchanged high-fives.

"Now wait," Grandma Esme said, as maternal as ever. "Is that entirely fair?"

"No, you're right, Esme," Emily said. "We should give them at least _one_ Winter." They all chuckled in unison.

The odds _did_ look in our favour. We had ten, they had four, but they all looked supremely confident.

As soon as Grandma Esme dropped the puck, I realized that what we'd seen at the last hockey game had been absolutely nothing compared with what they were capable of. Every move they made was graceful and poised. They flew through moves that I was sure hadn't even been officially invented yet.

"Way to go, Emmett," Jacob said acerbically. "Real smart. Give them _all_ the hockey geniuses."

The Winters coven laughed again.

In a burst of speed, Rob and Ian shot down the ice, passing the puck back and forth at a blinding speed. I watched as Uncle Emmett hurled himself at Ian, but Ian was too fast for him. Uncle Emmett crashed into the ice, managing to land directly on the puck. He swore loudly and rolled off of the puck, which was then assumed by Grandpa Carlisle. Emily was on him in the blink of an eye, mirroring every move he made. She twirled effortlessly out of the way as Uncle Jasper lunched at her, and then flashed back to covering Grandpa Carlisle.

Tara was even showier in her tricks than Emily, which was something I hadn't expected from her. With a gravity-defying jump, she did a flawless triple-axel in the air above Uncle Jasper's head. I felt my jaw fall open.

Ian, Emily and Rob cheered as she landed perfectly. Tara grinned and gave a slight bow.

Grandpa Carlisle, who had stopped dead as we all had to watch, was now scrambling after Emily, who then slap-shot it to Ian. Ian passed it to Tara who had somehow managed to get to the other side of the rink, who then spun between Dad and Aunt Rose, leaving them both clutching at air.

After their seventh consecutive goal, Uncle Emmett was full-out snarling. He'd (unsuccessfully) attempted to tackle all of the Winters at least once (landing on my poor, unsuspecting grandmother in one such instance. Grandpa Carlisle had banned tackles after that). Aunt Alice had proved remarkably adept on the ice, and had scored both of our goals. I accredited it to her size, or lack thereof. The Winters had almost as much trouble catching her as we did them.

Jacob and I had been the least active throughout the game. He didn't feel like trying unless I did, and I didn't feel like helping the Winters beat us. I was no asset on skates.

After Uncle Emmett had inadvertently tackled Grandma Esme, Mom had joined her on the sidelines. She'd never been especially fond of sports, not even baseball which had become our family sport. We'd had a clearing just for baseball at our home in Forks. But I had a very different memory associated with that clearing.

I looked back at Emily and Tara. Though they hid it exceptionally, I could see the pain behind their smiles that they fixed in place for both their family and ours.

"Nessie, can we talk for a moment?" Aunt Alice asked, skating up to me.

"Sure," I said.

"Rose, Emily, Bella, Tara, can you come here as well, please?" she called over her shoulder. "Jacob, I'm sure Emmett's going to want to take his frustration out on some poor animal now. Why don't you go hunt with him?"

"We just went hunting last week –"

"Now."

"All right, all right," he said quickly, shuffling off after Uncle Emmett.

Emily, Tara, Mom and Aunt Rose skated up to us. "Yes?" Emily said, glancing from Aunt Alice to me in confusion.

"A little birdie told me that Nessie is going to winter formal with Jacob."

Mom looked at me with surprise. "Really? You're going to a dance?"

I nodded. "Jake wanted to go, actually, so I agreed to go."

"By the way, Rensmee," Aunt Alice said. "Shame on you for not telling me yourself."

I inevitably blushed. "Sorry, Aunt Alice."

"You'd better be. Anyway, I believe you know what this calls for, and Bella, you'd better not wreck this for me."

Emily gasped. "A shopping trip?" she asked hopefully.

"Naturally."

Mom and I groaned, meriting a glare from Aunt Alice as she and Emily and exchanged matching smiles. I looked pleadingly at Mom and Aunt Rose.

"What do you want us to do?" Aunt Rose whispered, glancing at Emily and Aunt Alice. "You know there's no stopping them."

It was true. Over the months since they'd come to live with us, Emily and Aunt Alice had proved themselves to be an unstoppable force. They were very alike in many ways, too alike as Mom would argue, particularly in regard to fashion and shopping, mostly because she was their most frequent victim.

I sighed hopelessly. "Fine, fine, but just a shopping trip. No makeovers and absolutely _no_ strange skin treatments. Just because you have stony skin doesn't mean you get to play with mine," I said, looking pointedly at Aunt Alice.

"Killjoy," Aunt Alice accused.

"How soon can we go?" Emily asked in a tone that was hideously overexcited over something as lamentable as shopping.

"I was thinking this weekend."  
"Perfect."

I sighed again and turned to my mother. "Mom, can you do me a favour?"

"Sure."

"Shoot me."

"Ha. Right, and leave me alive to go shopping with them?"

"Fair point," I admitted.

One thing was certain: this was going to be the weekend from hell.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

"Renesmee Carlie Cullen, if I hear so much as _one_ more word of complaint, I will turn this into a two-day trip," Aunt Alice threatened, her dark-gold eyes narrowing.

I winced at the idea, and promptly shut my mouth.

"Wise decision," Mom commended me as we slid into the backseat of Aunt Alice's freshly-polished Porsche.

"This is completely ridiculous, Renesmee. We're not even out of Vancouver yet, and you're already whining," Aunt Alice continued.

I blanched. "What do you mean, 'out of Vancouver yet'? Aren't we shopping here?"

She and Emily laughed. "Nessie, you dear child, of course not."

"Where are we going?"

"Edmonton is very nice this time of year."

"_Edmonton_? You're taking us all the way to _Edmonton_?"

"It's only three hours."

I did the calculation quickly in my head. "Sure, if you're going at top speed!"

"Exactly."

I groaned. My family was notorious for being speed maniacs. Uncle Emmett's love for speed had been the demise of his Jeep Wrangler several years earlier. He'd been drag racing with Jacob through the forests of Washington when, according to his version of the story, Jacob had distracted him and he had crashed it into a tree while going one hundred and fifty-five miles an hour. According to Jacob, Uncle Emmett had turned around in his seat to make an impolite gesture, and then had slammed into the tree. Of the two, Jacob's seemed far more believable.

I sighed and glanced out the window. The sun threatened to burst through the veil of clouds, but Aunt Alice had assured us that we would be fine on that front. As if I should be so lucky.

"So where're the guys going, anyway?" asked Mom. "Edward said that they have something planned for today."

"Well, I think they were going to go for a hunt first –" Aunt Alice began to say as she pulled out of the garage. Aunt Rose, Tara and Grandma Esme followed in Aunt Rose's shiny red convertible.

"Wait a second," Mom said. "They get to _hunt_ while you torture us through a shopping trip?"

"If you'd let me finish," Aunt Alice said icily, "I would have told you that after they hunt, they're going shopping as well."

I grimaced. Poor Jacob.

"Well why does Carlisle get to stay home?" Mom asked as we passed Grandpa Carlisle's Mercedes.

"He doesn't. He's going with them."

"How did you manage to convince them to go shopping?" asked Emily with genuine interest.

Aunt Alice's eyes rested on me in the mirror briefly. "Uh…well, something's going to happen, for which a present will be required."

I thought for a moment. Nobody had a birthday coming up that I knew of, or an anniversary, although I was still a little shaky on the Winters' significant dates. And why had Aunt Alice looked at me? "When did you and Rob get married, Emily?"

Emily glanced at me. "June 25, 1977. Why?"

"No reason, I just wanted to make sure that I had all of the dates straight in my head. What about Ian and Tara?"

"April 11, 1989, but it was hardly a _wedding_," she said disdainfully. "It was a ceremony beside a pond in Moose Jaw. There weren't even any guests."

"_What_?" Aunt Alice asked in genuine horror. "Why haven't you spoken of this before?"

"Because Tara just gets defensive if I bring it up."

"That is completely unacceptable!" Aunt Alice raved. "We have to rectify this situation."

Emily's eyes sparkled with interest. "What did you have in mind?"

Aunt Alice smiled brilliantly, exposing her perfect white teeth. "We need to plan a second wedding for her."

"Oh dear," Mom grumbled.

"Bella, don't make me come back there," Aunt Alice said sternly, glaring at Mom in the mirror. "I said no complaining."

Mom didn't voice her thoughts aloud again, but I heard her mumbling unintelligibly.

I was afraid to look out the window. High speeds had never been something that I'd particularly enjoyed, although Uncle Emmett, Dad and Jacob had been trying valiantly to change that for as long as I could remember.

I sighed. This was going to be a very long day without my Jacob.

Mom glanced at me. "You okay?"

_I'm just missing Jacob_, I told her using my gift.

She half-smiled. "You really love him, don't you?"

It took me a moment to process the fact that she was actually asking. "I really do," I replied. How could this possibly be a question?

Mom sighed now. She muttered something under her breath. I couldn't be sure, but it sounded like, "My baby…"

I half-smiled and laid my head on her shoulder. "I'll always be here, Momma."

She patted my hand. "I know. I'm just being sentimental again."

* * *

"Nessie. Nessie!"

I awoke with a start. I hadn't realized that I'd fallen asleep.

"Nessie, we're here," Emily said, turning around in her seat to shake me gently.

I straightened up slowly. My neck was stiff from having leaned on my mother for the past three hours.

"So, where do you want to go first?" Aunt Alice asked as we climbed out of the Porsche. "It's your choice, Nessie."

My heart sank as I took in my surroundings. Trendy designer storefronts lined either side of the bustling street. Sky scrapers rose in ever direction like towering monuments to commercialism. The sky was veiled in dark clouds that promised a storm was on the way. The cold bite in the air seemed to confirm it.

I recognized some of the names on the elegant signs hung above the stores; it was the consequence of having lived with Aunt Alice for so long. "Uh…let's go with…that one," I said, pointing to a random shop.

"Excellent choice," Aunt Alice said, hooking her arm through mine. Mom and I exchanged glances as Aunt Alice dragged us down the street in the direction of the store I'd chosen.

"Where're the others?" asked Mom as we wove our way through the throng of pedestrians.

"They're only a few minutes away," Aunt Alice said. "I'm going to call them in two minutes to let them know where we are."

As we stepped through the glass doors of the boutique, a strange rush of smells hit me. It was a combination of cotton, metal, denim, leather, polyester, wool, window cleaner, paper, the clerk's scent and a collection of perfumes.

The blonde clerk looked up from the magazine she'd been reading. She smiled at us. "Hello. Can I help you with anything?"

"I think we're just fine, thank you," Aunt Alice said politely as she unhooked her arm from mine. She and Emily race ahead of Mom and me and began scouring the racks.

"So what do we do now?" I whispered to Mom.

"Well, in my unfortunate experience, we just stand here and try things on when told."

Aunt Rose, Grandma Esme and Tara appeared just as Aunt Alice had said. Aunt Rose stood with us at first, but I caught her looking longingly at the endless rows of merchandise.

"Rose," Mom said. "It's okay. You can go with them."

Aunt Rose sighed in relief. "Thanks, Bella." She rushed to join Aunt Alice and Emily, Grandma Esme trailing after her.

"Tara, we should probably warn you," Mom said as Tara joined us. "Emily spilled the beans about your wedding. She and Alice are planning you another one."

Aunt Alice's head snapped in our direction. She cast Mom a disapproving glare. "Thanks a lot, Bella," I heard her mutter.

Tara grimaced. "I knew it would happen sooner or later."

I felt badly for her. My breath suddenly caught in my throat as I realized that in a little less than a year, it would be my turn.

* * *

Several hours of aimless meandering ensued. We had to refocus Aunt Alice and Emily several times, but they were generally good about staying on task. By midday, the Porsche's trunk was nearly filled to capacity.

"So," I said as I surveyed the array of shopping bags crammed together. "We're done, right?" I ought to have known better.

"Not nearly," Aunt Alice said brightly as Emily passed her yet another shopping bag. "We still have to get to the west side."

I concentrated on not groaning as I played with my promise bracelet.

Finally, after four long, unbearable hours, I heard Aunt Alice give an elated gasp. "I – I don't quite believe it," she stammered. "But I think I've found it! Emily! Rose!"

Emily flashed to Aunt Alice's side. After a brief of inspection, a brilliant smile illuminated her face. "I think you're right, Alice." I felt a glimmer of hope.

"Nessie, put this on," Aunt Alice said excitedly.

My hope crashed and burned. I cringed away from it and shot her a dark look.

Aunt Alice's excitement faded. She glared at Mom suddenly. "Do you see what you've done here, Bella?"

Mom sensibly kept whatever reply she'd been planning tacit.

"Just put it on, Nessie."

"No."

Emily and Aunt Alice both stared at me uncomprehendingly. In my peripheral vision, I saw Tara, Mom, Aunt Rose and Grandma Esme flinch.

"No?" Aunt Alice asked after a long moment of unnerving silence. "I don't follow you…"

For a split second, I contemplated surrendering. "No, I will not wear the dress," I clarified warily.

Her eyes narrowed to slits instantly. "Oh, you will wear the dress. Now, you may hate ever moment that you spend in it, but you will look fabulous. So trust me when I tell you, Renesmee Carlie Cullen, you will wear that dress."

I knew rationally that Aunt Alice would never harm me, but the menace in her voice and the terrifyingly-vampiric expression with which she scalded made that particularly difficult to reassure myself of. Combined with the bone-chilling, hair-raising glare that my rebellion had merited from Emily, I swiftly forgot whatever grounds I'd had for an objection.

"I can scarcely believe it, but she actually doesn't like the dress," Emily said coldly, her eyes still locked on me.

"I know," Aunt Alice replied calmly. "But by all that is holy, Nessie, I _will _undo the years of fashion-deprivation that Bella has inflicted upon you." She sighed and looked away sadly. "I knew it was a mistake to let the four of you vacation alone in Forks last summer."

"What happened?" Emily asked hesitantly, her gaze shifting to Aunt Alice.

Aunt Alice shuddered visibly. "Bella and Nessie came back with…_sweat pants _and _T-shirts_."

Emily gasped in overdramatic horror.

"Oh come on, you guys, it's not like I bought her heroin," Mom said, rolling her eyes.

"You may as well have," Aunt Alice said sourly. "They're equally destructive. Bella, when she was a baby, you promised me –"

"Begrudgingly promised you," Mom added.

"But you promised nonetheless," Aunt Alice continued. "That you would allow me to dress Nessie."

I looked at my mother in horrified disbelief. Surely she would never sell me out like that? "You did _what_?"

Mom flinched. "Your…_beloved_ aunt threatened –"

"Offered," Aunt Alice corrected.

Mom glowered at her. "–To take, no _kidnap_ me and force me to go on a two-week shopping spree across Europe for my birthday if I didn't. I'm sorry. I truly thought she'd go easier on you."

I had to admit, that was a brilliant, albeit gruesome ultimatum. I probably would have done the same.

Emily shrieked suddenly from across the room.

I started, as did the clerk. I hadn't noticed her move.

"I've found another one!" she crowed joyfully.

Aunt Alice thrust the dress at me again, which I took unquestioningly as she pranced over to Emily, Aunt Rose following.

"Do you want to make a run for it?" Mom asked after we'd listened to the little huddle's gasps of approval and steady stream of critical conversation for several tortuous moments.

"Bella, you will do no such thing," Aunt Alice said over her shoulder.

Mom cursed quietly.

"You will do no such thing because we have just found you the perfect dress," Emily said as she proudly displayed the garment.

Mom blinked. "It's…poofy."

I patted her arm comfortingly. "Don't worry, Momma, I'm sure Dad won't make you go."

"Au contraire, my dear niece," Aunt Alice said with a diabolical grin. "He already has."

Mom and I gasped. "No...Alice, tell me you're lying."

"She's not," Emily interjected. "I would know." She tapped her temple.

Mom blanched as she stared at Aunt Alice, who was becoming more amused by the moment. "Wh-Wh…_How_? How did you get Edward to agree to this?"

"You know, it's quite shocking what Edward will agree to when one threatens the shiny silver paint job on his Volvo with, say…a rock?"

"_Damn_, that was crafty! And low!" Mom muttered with a mixture of envy and contempt.

There were really only two things that would motivate my father enough to agree to something like this, and they were A) threatening his family and B) threatening his cars, which Aunt Alice well knew.

"Sorry, Mom," I said consolingly. "But maybe it won't be so bad."

"Renesmee Cullen," said Aunt Alice as she crossed her arms, only now noticing that I was still there. "Why aren't you wearing that dress yet?" She whisked me off to the change rooms before I had a chance to reply.

I changed slowly, just to annoy her, and was rewarded with several exasperated sighs and more than the occasional insistence that I hurry up.

When I finally opened the door and stepped out, everyone gasped. The clerk dropped the cell phone she'd been speaking into. Colour rushed to my face. "That bad?" I asked self-consciously.

Aunt Alice stared at me in complete amazement. "That _good_," she whispered. "Turn," she commanded, motioning with her finger.

"Alice…" Emily said, drifting dazedly towards me. "Alice, we did it. She looks…" After grasping at words for several seconds, she finished with, "Unbelievable."

I studied myself in the massive mirror that took up the entire back wall. The dress was a white halter-style floor-length number, decorated with glitter. Even I had to admit, it was beautiful.

Aunt Alice turned towards the changing room that was adjacent mine. "Bella, how's it coming?"

"Alice, you are pure evil."

Aunt Alice grinned. "That well? Excellent."

I changed back quickly and handed Aunt Alice the dress. She went to purchase it as we waited for Mom to emerge.

My jaw fell open. Her dress was cream-coloured and strapless, and was decorated with an elaborate beaded pattern at the waist and hem. She looked absolutely magnificent. "Wow, Mom."

She sighed, flustered. "Alice, can I take this ridiculous thing off yet?"

"Yes, yes," Aunt Alice said dismissively, although a smile stretched across her face from ear to ear.

"I hate high school," Mom mumbled darkly.

* * *

The day of the winter formal arrived. Over the weeks leading up to the dreaded day, it was impossible to walk down through the school hallways without seeing a poster taped to a locker or a news board, announcing in bold black letters the date of the winter formal and encouraging the students to purchase their tickets before they ran out.

"OW!" I cried out in pain as Aunt Alice took out her excitement on my long bronze ringlets with a hairbrush.

She sighed irately. "If you would just hold still…"

"_OW!_" I snatched the brush from her and handed it to Aunt Rose with a pleading look as my scalp tingled painfully.

"Well if you hadn't been so late getting up, I wouldn't have had to rush, now would I?" Aunt Alice said as she set about sorting through her collection of hair products.

I had no reply for that. Aunt Rose guided the brush carefully through my hair. "It always amazes me how exactly your hair colour matches Edward's," she murmured.

"Where is Dad, anyway?" I inquired.

I caught Aunt Alice and Aunt Rose exchange a look that I clearly was not supposed to have seen. "He's uh…out," Aunt Alice informed me.

"Out where?"

"I'm not sure, exactly," Aunt Alice said, pursing her lips.

I glanced at Aunt Rose for an explanation, but she ignored me and continued brushing.

Alarm bells exploded through my head as I saw Aunt Alice pick up a tube of facial cream. "No," I said flatly. "Aunt Alice, I thought I said no skin treatments."

"Oh grow a backbone, Nessie," she said chidingly as she opened it with an ominous crack. "It's not like I'm trying to slather acid on your face."

"That would be preferable," I said, my eyes following the bottle.

She rolled her eyes and began to cover my face with the stuff.

* * *

By seven o'clock that evening, we were ready. I still hadn't seen Jacob all day, and I was anxious to see how he would look. I couldn't imagine him being any handsomer than he usually was, but Aunt Alice had told me to expect to be pleasantly surprised.

The women of the house - with the exception of Grandma Esme - were congregated in the bathroom. Aunt Alice, Aunt Rose and Emily were making the final touches to their appearances. As I looked around, I felt appropriately plain amongst all of the raging beauties in my family.

Aunt Rose had chosen a flattering shiny red dress and ridiculously-high black stiletto shoes. Her honey-coloured hair styled into an elegant bun, diamond earrings glittering at her ears. Aunt Alice had opted for a dramatic purple silk dress littered with rhinestones and sequins that fell just above her knees. Her shoes were a glossy black and silver and made her almost as tall as me. Mom, who had admitted defeat, wore the dress purchased for her and even allowed Aunt Alice to lend her a pair of white shoes and jewellery. Tara wore an enviably-simple teal dress and strappy black shoes. Apparently Emily had let her off easy. Emily's dress was dark blue, to match one of the many shades in her stunning blue eyes. It bordered on ridiculous with its flowery sequined pattern. Like Aunt Alice's, it glittered with rhinestones. At her throat was an elaborate crystal choker.

"So, who's going with whom?" I asked finally.

"I'm sure Edward will have that arranged by now," Aunt Alice said. "Let's ask." I threaded my arms through the sleeves of a dress coat from the rack hung by the door as we followed their voices outside to the front of the house.

I blinked in surprise. There were six unfamiliar cars parked across the snowy lawn.

"Oh, they brought my car!" Emily squealed from behind me as she bounded out of the house, gathering her skirt up as she hastened down the steps.

Dad, Jacob, Rob, Uncle Emmett and Uncle Jasper were discussing cars in the doorway of the open garage. They all wore differently-styled black tuxes with vests the same colour as the dress of their respective dates, but for me, there was one obvious stand-out.

Jacob was reminiscent of a russet-skinned god in his expensive-looking black tuxedo, even better than Aunt Alice had promised. I would look even more painfully ordinary at his side.

I watched with amusement as Rob's eyes widened when he caught sight of Emily, who was opening the door of a grey convertible. I could hardly blame him; she looked stunning.

"_Whoa!_" Jacob shouted suddenly.

My eyes flashed back to him quickly, wondering at the cause of the disturbance. I felt a familiar blush light my face as I realized that he was staring at me, his mouth in the shape of an "O". He began to stumble towards us as though in a trance.

Aunt Alice beamed proudly at me.

I rolled my eyes.

"_Wo-ow,_" Jacob said, stretching the word out appreciatively as he stood back to look at me. I shifted uncomfortably, my face and ears blazing. "Nessie, you look…_wow_."

"Wow yourself," I said, still blushing.

"Sure, sure," he said sarcastically, although I caught sight of a slight blush spreading under his skin. He tried again. "You look…yeah, still drawing a blank."

I giggled as he wove his warm fingers through mine.

Dad was smiled as he joined us. "He's right, Nessie," he said softly. His liquid butterscotch eyes flickered to Jacob. "Jacob, I think Alice would like to know who will be going in which cars. Perhaps you could inform her of the arrangements?"

I glanced over at Aunt Alice, who was sitting in the passenger seat of the grey car, watching the exchange between Dad, Jacob and me with a smug smile. I could practically hear the "I told you so" radiating off of her.

"Okay," Jacob said reluctantly as he released my hand. He cast me another lingering glance as he crossed the yard.

Dad sighed slightly, his eyes growing sad.

I frowned. "What is it, Daddy?"

He brushed my cheek with his frigid fingers. "Every time I blink, you get more grown up. I think I finally understand your Grandpa Charlie a little better."

I grinned and hugged him. "It was bound to happen eventually."

He slid his arms around me. "I know." After a moment, we drew apart. "Where's your mother?"

"Right here," Mom said as she descended the front steps carefully. She was as graceful a vampire as I'd ever seen, but old habits died hard.

Shock and delight spread across my father's face. "Just when I become convinced that you can't get anymore beautiful…" he trailed off.

I shuffled away from them. I didn't want to be there when things got awkward. I made my way over to Jacob, who was still talking with Aunt Alice and Emily. I shook my head and chuckled. The yard looked like a parking lot. "So are these really all your cars?" I asked Emily with disbelief.

She nodded as she followed my gaze. "Yes." She opened the door and got out. "I'll show you which one belongs to whom." She pointed first to a slinky black car with an impossibly glossy paintjob that looked impressive despite the gathering darkness. "That's Rob's Rolls-Royce Phantom. It's probably the most lavish luxury car that money can afford. It's a wonderful car, really. He lets me borrow if from time to time." She pointed to the red car parked adjacent it. "That's Rob's other car. He uses that when the occasion calls for more subtlety." _Subtle_ was hardly a word that I would ever have connected to such a vehicle. "It's a Novitec Rosso Ferrari 599 GTB. It's got lots of lovely features, but he likes it because it goes fast." I had no trouble believing that based on its streamlined appearance.

She identified the gunmetal-coloured car at its side as Ian and Tara's Mercedes Benz E320 Bluetec Sedan. "Rob bought it a few months ago for their twenty-fourth anniversary, but they don't use it much because they both think it's too flashy and neither of them would want to injure him by selling it." That sounded very much like something Ian and Tara would do.

The next car was her own. "This is my baby," she said as she stroked the hood. "It's a BMW Z9 Cabriolet. Rob bought it for me for Christmas one year. I previously had a 2008 Corvette C6, but this is much nicer." Next she pointed out a silver SUV. "That's Tara's Hybrid Lexus RX 400H."

I snorted at the irony.

Emily flashed me a grin. "Yes, we thought it was funny, too."

The last car was black, and almost as pretty as Rob's Phantom. "That's Ian's Audi S5 LR. That's what he usually drives."

I frowned. "Wait, so if Ian has a car and Tara has a car, why do Ian and Tara share a car?"

Emily shrugged. "Rob gets a little irrational when placed in an environment with highly-priced cars." She paused to consider that statement. "Well, to be honest, it's like putting an alcoholic in a beer store."

I laughed.

"Hey!" Uncle Emmett called from the garage. "We're going to be late if we don't get going soon!"

Suddenly, Jacob was at my side again. "Come on," he urged. "I want to take you somewhere before we go to the dance."

I frowned with mild confusion, but followed willingly. When I glanced back over my shoulder, everyone had stopped to watch us. My aunts exchanged knowing glances with my parents.

Whatever was going on, it was big. I felt a little thrill of excitement as I followed Jacob behind the house and in the direction of our trail.

"Close your eyes," he said gently.

Now I was _really _suspicious. Nevertheless, I closed my eyes obediently and allowed him to guide me for a while, my mind racing with possibilities.

"Okay," his voice, suddenly nervous, whispered in my ear. "You can open your eyes."

I gasped at what I saw. The surrounding trees were strung with white lights, illuminating the clearing with a picturesque glow. Snow began to drift in fat, lazy white puffs from the black star-studded sky. "Jacob, this is _amazing_."

He shifted his weight nervously. "Yeah, well…most of it was Alice and Esme."

I continued to look around, drinking in the beauty that surrounded me. It was, unquestionably, the most beautiful sight I'd ever beheld.

He reclaimed my attention as he took a deep breath. "Um…there's something I have to ask you."

There was something about the tone of his voice that made my pulse race. "All right," I said anxiously.

He sucked in another breath as he took my hands in his. I was surprised to notice that they were trembling slightly. "Nessie, I've literally loved you all your life. From the day you were born, you have been the most wonderful, beautiful part of my life. I know I should have told you about the imprinting and my history with Bella,"

Pain twisted my heart as the horrible memories of the biggest mistake of my life flashed through my head. I glanced at our joined hands quickly as tears began to cloud my eyes. I hoped that Aunt Alice had used waterproof mascara.

"But I never wanted you to feel pressured to choose me. If you hadn't, I would have understood. I would have let you go, but by some miracle, you say that you want me too."

What was he saying? Of course I wanted him! Who else was there in the world like my Jacob? Who else would I want besides him?

He looked around us. "It was right here that we had our almost-kiss, remember?" he chuckled nervously.

I grinned in response. As if I would forget. It was one of the best memories of my life, and also one of the most embarrassing.

"Well, it was then that I first felt any hope that you might feel something for me like I felt for you. So that's why I chose to ask you here."

The confusion, which had been temporarily diverted by the surreal magnificence of the clearing, returned. "Ask me what?"

"I already talked to your dad, and he told me that he wants you to wait a year, which I'm totally okay with, but I wanted to ask anyway." He exhaled apprehensively as he slid to one knee, his left hand disappearing into the pocket of his tuxedo.

My eyes widened as I realized what was happening. I had seen this happen in countless human movies. My limbs froze with an overpowering combination of shock, indescribable rapture, disbelief, awe and amazement.

"Renesmee Cullen," he began slowly. "Will you marry me?"


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

"Will you marry me?" In his hand, a tiny blue box appeared. He flipped the top open to reveal a glittering white-gold diamond engagement ring.

I stared at him for a long moment, my heart pounding. I was completely unable to think. Was this possible? Was it possible that Jacob really wanted to be with me forever?

I already knew it was; he'd told me so many times. But it was still difficult to grasp. I began to tremble. Then suddenly, to my disgust, I burst into tears.

Jacob's face fell. "Is that a no?"

"I'm so sorry," I said as I bawled idiotically.

He sighed, his shoulders drooping. "Why?"

"No, no, no!" I panicked as I realized that he'd misunderstood. "I'm sorry…because this…is the most perfect…moment of my entire life and…I'm blubbering like an _idiot_!"

Jacob stared at me for a moment, and then burst into peals of resplendent laughter. "Oh my Nessie." My heart threatened to explode out of my chest as it pounded with happiness when he spoke those words. "You're so silly."

"I'm not silly," I insisted, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. "I'm overwhelmed."

He laughed again. "Well you're very cute when you're overwhelmed."

Of course, I blushed.

He chuckled and stroked my flushed cheek. "So is that a yes?"

"Of course!"

He chuckled again and pressed his warm lips to mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and deepened the kiss as my heart began to race faster.

When our lips parted, I was trembling violently. My shallow breaths rose as cloudy plumes in the cold winter air, but yet I didn't feel the cold. I was too happy to really notice anything aside from the tall, handsome sixteen-year-old werewolf that had just offered to be mine for the rest of eternity, to be _really_ mine.

"I hate to do this," he said apologetically. "But I promised Alice that I'd get you to the dance. Besides," he said, his eyes raking over me. "It'd be pretty selfish of me to not show you off, especially when you're looking like this."

Not even the horrific prospect of a dance could dampen my spirits. I felt as though I were glowing. I'd known that Jacob and I would be always together; I'd known it from the start, although at the time I hadn't known what the dynamics of our relationship would be. After I'd learned that he loved me as I loved him, I'd assumed that marriage was on our horizon. But to have it confirmed, to know that he was going to be mine, that he wanted to be mind and to know that he would _always_ be mine…I wasn't sure if there were words to describe it.

"Ness?" he asked hesitantly.

I blinked, realizing that he was waiting for an answer. "Oh. Yeah, okay."

He narrowed his eyes slightly. "'Okay'?"

"I told you before," I reminded him. "As long as you're there, I can suck it up."

He laughed. "Well, sorry anyways." He took my hand and led me back towards the massive garage, which looked strangely deserted. His silver Aston Martin DBS, Mom's red Ferrari F430 and Dad's Volvo were the only cars left. Even Grandpa Carlisle's Mercedes was missing; he'd taken Grandma Esme out for the evening.

It was parked in the back left-hand corner of the vast garage. He didn't use it often, but he treasured the rare occasions on which he had the opportunity to use it.

"So you actually asked my dad that you were planning to propose?"

"Yeah."

"And you're still alive?"

He chuckled. "Apparently. He was actually pretty cool about it. He told me about the age thing and he explained in detail what he'd do to me if I tried anything before we're married." He laughed again.

I rolled my eyes. So typical.

"Here we are," he said as we turned into the crowded parking lot in front of the brightly-lit banquet hall.

I groaned as I caught sight of my family crowding near the entrance. My entire family was crowded around the cars, watching us with huge smiles. Well, Uncle Emmett's was more like a smirk. I shuddered involuntarily. I didn't even want to think about the jokes that he was undoubtedly formulating.

Jacob chuckled at my expression. "Ten bucks says Emily, Alice and Rosalie already have the wedding half-planned."

I blinked with surprise. Since when did he call Aunt Rose "Rosalie"? He'd called her Blondie for as long as I could remember.

Jacob got out first and then came around to open my door for me. I stepped out of the car carefully so as not to step on the train of my dress, heart pounding but still blissfully happy. I inhaled deeply and hooked my arm through his.

I was barely a foot away from the car door when they swarmed us. Aunt Alice and Emily did a lot of excited shrieking as the family bombarded us with questions, but I scarcely heard them. I was going to marry _Jacob Black_. Judging by the heart-wrenchingly beautiful smile on his face, I could tell that he was still just as happy as I was.

"Congratulations, Ness," Mom said with a maternal smile. She and Dad took turns hugging me. "I'm so happy for you," she continued.

"Thanks, Mom," I said. I knew how hard this was for them. I was surprised that they were doing as well as they were. I had fully expected Dad to have one of his fatherly overreactions.

"I haven't ruled it out," he muttered.

I laughed and hugged him again. "Well, thanks for letting us have our minute."

"I'm glad you're happy," he smiled.

Next in the crowd of our well-wishers were Aunt Rose…and Uncle Emmett. I sucked in a tiny breath. I was quite literally in my happy place. I would not allow him to ruin anything with his awful jokes.

Aunt Rose hugged me tightly. "I maintain that you will always be much too good for the mutt," she muttered. "But if he makes you happy…well, I'll get used to him."

I felt my smile widen. "Thank you, Aunt Rose, really." I said, hugging her back. I knew this wouldn't be easy for her either. She detested Jacob, but the fact that she was willing to overlook her passionate dislike for him gave me hope.

"Are you going to make her stand there all night or am I going to get to get to dance with my fiancée?" asked Jacob.

Aunt Rose pursed her lips and took a step back, her teeth grinding together.

"Let's go," I said confidently.

Jacob and I led the way into the banquet hall, Mom and Dad just behind us, followed by Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper, Aunt Rose and Uncle Emmett, Tara and Ian and Emily and Rob. The interior was dim, a stark contrast to the luminous exterior.

Several of the humans towards the fringes of the throng that had been dancing to a rhythmic techno beat stopped dead to stare at us.

Jacob snorted smugly. "I told you that you looked stunning."

I rolled my eyes. "Please. They're probably staring at you."

Dad's teeth snapped together behind me. "The male on the left is decidedly not."

I towed Jacob out of arms-reach of the gawking human before he had a chance to do anything unwise. "So how do we do this, exactly?" I asked him.

"I have no idea," he laughed. "I haven't done a whole lot of partying in my twenty-one years. To be honest, the last party of this nature that I went to was probably your mom's graduation party."

"Were you into her back then?" I asked nonchalantly, and for once, I truly felt nonchalant about asking it, now that I knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that he had no lingering feelings for her.

He studied my face carefully before answering. "Yeah. It was kind of a competition between Edward and me back then."

"Do you regret giving in?" I inquired.

"Not for a second," he replied. "If he hadn't won, I wouldn't have either," he said, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear.

"Me neither," I said quietly.

The song abruptly changed from the lively techno beat to a much slower, quieter tune.

"I know how to do this, at least," Jacob grinned, wrapping one warm arm around my waist and taking my hand. We moved gracefully around the dance floor, nearly managing to forget the other dancers swaying together all about us. Of course, my family had completely thrown caution to the wind and were dancing with a finesse that would have earned the enmity of many a professional dancer.

I watched my parents for a few moments. They had always been my example of what love ought to be. They had as unconventional a past as was possible, and yet their love had managed to survive inconceivable odds. It was a love of that strength and calibre that I had dreamed about as a young child.

I sighed contentedly. I think some part of me had always known that Jacob was my happily ever after. I'd also always known that I was incredibly lucky. There weren't many girls that had their fairytale ending, albeit a gothic fairytale ending, handed to them on a silver platter.

"Hey, check that out," Jacob said amusedly, interrupting my thoughts.

I glanced in the indicated direction. Melina, dressed in a flattering black and white dress, and Jeff, dressed to the nines in an expensive tuxedo, were entering arm-in-arm.

I struggled to keep from laughing. "What is this, revenge?"

"You've got it exactly," Dad chortled as he and Mom glided past us.

I looked next at Ian and Tara, who were staring deep into the each others' eyes, completely oblivious to the world around them as they danced with more elegance than a human would ever have been able to manage. Tara glanced at her sister suddenly, as though she'd called her. The two stared at each other for a moment, and then both laughed.

I frowned with confusion. I hadn't heard either of them speak a word. I'd seen them do this several times since they'd come to live with us, but I still couldn't make any sense of it.

"Is he suicidal?" Jacob asked suddenly.

I glanced over. Jeff was approaching Ian and Tara. Ian was watching him through narrowed eyes. Tara was beet-red.

"So, um I was wondering…could I uh, you know, maybe call you later?" I heard Jeff ask.

My mouth fell open. "Tell me I heard him wrong."

Jacob covered his mouth to muffle his laughter. "Nope," he snickered.

Several things happened at once. Ian's eyes grew wide and began to throw himself into a crouch at the same time as Rob forced him back against the wall.

"Ian, _no_!" he snarled at the precise moment that the music became louder. I glanced at the DJ table to see Aunt Alice handing the DJ a fifty dollar bill.

"Jasper!" I heard Dad call, but quietly enough so as not to arouse the attention of the humans, who were still dancing, blithely unaware of what was happening – including Jeff, to my incredulity.

Uncle Jasper, who had also paused to watch the exchange, walked at a very human pace to where Rob was restraining the snarling Ian.

"Oh dear," I muttered.

"Ian, get a grip!" Rob hissed up at him. It amazed me that Rob, who looked so small in comparison to Ian, was actually managing to keep him pinned.

"I won't hurt him," Ian said in between growls. "Much."

Dad glanced at Uncle Jasper again. "Jasper?"

Uncle Jasper nodded, his eyes flicking to Ian. He began to relax against his will.

Ian cleared his throat slightly and looked down at Rob. "You can let go any time now."

Rob stared untrustingly at him for a moment, and then stepped back. "Don't do anything stupid."

"Here," Ian said to Jeff, who was still looking at Tara expectantly. "Let me write it down for you."

Dad burst out laughing suddenly.

I looked at him and frowned. "What? What's going on?"

"He's-He's giving him the number to the Rejection Hotline," he said in between peals of laughter. "If only I'd known that number back when Mike Newton was an issue…"

Mom snorted.

"Was he that idiot that came to the movies with us, Bells?" Jacob asked Mom.

"Yep."

I glanced back at Jeff, who was beaming spectacularly. "Awesome."

"Yes it will be," Ian said with a dark smile.

"Thanks, man," Jeff said.

"Any time," Ian replied in a sinister tone. He watched Jeff as he sauntered off happily into the crowd of dancing teens.

"Well-played," Rob agreed, patting his brother on the back.

"I liked my first idea better."

"Please don't kill him," Tara said quietly. "Not even Jeff deserves to be prey."

Ian tore his eyes away from Jeff to look at Tara, his expression immediately softening. "Let's dance, before I do something less than wise."

Jacob sighed. "I guess that means there won't be a fight."

"Jacob!" I scolded.

"What?" he said defensively. "I didn't say it was a good thing, I just think it would've been fun to watch, that's all."

"You're as bad as Uncle Emmett, you know."

"No one's as bad as Emmett."

He had a point.

He offered a hand. "Shall we?"

I took his hand. "Definitely." We rejoined the mass of dancing adolescents, and I once again found myself lost in my happiness.

We'd only been dancing a few moments when Aunt Alice gave a horrified gasp. Jacob and I stopped in the middle of the dance floor and looked at her. Her face was frozen into a mask of shock, and whiter than I'd ever seen it.

Uncle Jasper was already at her side. "Alice, what is it?" he asked urgently. He looked from Dad, who bore an identical expression. "Someone please explain what's going on."

"They're coming," Aunt Alice choked.

"For the Winters," Dad finished.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Cold terror shot through my body. I'd almost managed to completely forget about the Volturi.

"Let's take this outside," Uncle Emmett said quickly.

"Why?" I asked.

He nodded to Rob, who looked ready to take the Volturi on by himself. As soon as Uncle Emmett spoke, Rob and Ian simultaneously rushed to the door. I looked around quickly to make sure no one had noticed the rather unnatural speed with which they'd rushed. I searched each face carefully for astonishment or confusion. We were lucky yet again.

We were barely out of hearing range when Ian and Rob started snarling. Both took defensive positions in front of their mates.

"Not this _second_," Aunt Alice said exasperatedly.

"Let them come," Rob growled menacingly.

"No," Emily said automatically. Her eyes weren't fearful, as one might have expected, but determined.

"Who?" asked Uncle Emmett.

Ian and Rob looked at him with annoyance.

"When?" asked Uncle Jasper, ignoring him as he paced behind Aunt Alice, his eyes fixed on the ground.

"I…I don't know." Aunt Alice's gaze was vacant, her eyes tightened with concentration. "They haven't decided yet."

A second thrill of fear sent my heart into a frenzied, erratic rhythm. If they managed to catch us off-guard, we would not be as lucky as we had been the last time they had decided that we had overstepped the boundaries of the law.

"Edward, call Carlisle," said Uncle Jasper tensely. "Tell him everything."

It took Dad a second to unfreeze enough to take out his phone. He walked stiffly back towards the banquet hall, his words coming faster than I even I could catch.

"Who's coming?" asked Uncle Emmett again.

"The Volturi," Rob spat, his lips curling back over his teeth.

"Tell us exactly what happened when the Volturi appeared at your home," Uncle Jasper said, pacing faster.

Rob spoke. "I was hunting in the mountains when they arrived at the house. Emily was about to join me when she found two of them in the house." He unconsciously pulled her closer as he spoke.

My mind flashed back to the day in the glade that we had come face-to-face with the garnet-eyed members of the Guard, Dario and Fabian.

"They said that they were taking us back to Volterra, where we would stand trial before Aro, Caius and Marcus," Emily said, her tone just as resolute as her expression.

That wouldn't have been a trial. That would have been an execution.

"I told them that that wasn't going to happen. They said that it was pointless to resist. Ian and Tara came then. He told them that we weren't going anywhere. They tried to attack us, but Tara had her shield up. Then Ian killed them."

"No he didn't," Aunt Alice moaned.

"Did you burn the pieces?" asked Uncle Jasper and Rob in unison, and hazarded quick glances at each other.

Ian looked from my uncle to his brother, confused. "Well, no…but I tore them apart."

Rob exhaled. "And then what?"

Ian frowned, still mystified. "I…I threw the pieces into the forest. Are you telling me that I didn't kill them?"

"Yes," Uncle Jasper replied.

"The only way to kill a vampire is to burn the pieces," Rob informed him. "They probably healed themselves and then went right back to Volterra to inform Aro."

"That's exactly what they did," Aunt Alice whispered. "Aro and Caius have condemned you all." She looked at Emily, Rob, Ian and Tara mournfully.

"All of them?" I heard myself gasp. In the months that we'd spent with the Winters, they'd become part of our family, even more so than the Denalis. The Denalis had always been our extended family, our cousins. Rob, Emily, Ian and Tara had become like extra aunts and uncles, not to mention dear friends not just to me, but to everyone.

"Except for Tara."

Ian relaxed considerably.

"What?" asked Tara, her voice shooting up several octaves. She looked frantically at her sister, who was just as perplexed.

"When she repelled them with her shield, she caught Aro's interest," Aunt Alice said.

"Why?" Rob demanded.

"Aro has a fondness for talented immortals," Dad said as he rejoined our group. "He's been after Alice for the past seven years. Every member of his Guard has a gift."

"So he wants Tara's shield," Ian realized.

"But he doesn't know it's her yet," Aunt Alice explained. "He knows that one of you has a gift, but he does not yet know which one."

"It won't take him long to find out," Mom said grimly.

Silence fell for several moments. The song changed in the banquet hall several hundred metres away.

Ian spoke first. "So what do we do?"

"Fight," Rob said through his teeth.

"Yes!" Uncle Emmett said enthusiastically.

"No," Aunt Rose said, looking at him worriedly. "There has to be another way."

"Aw, come on, Blondie! The man had a good idea for once! At least let us use it," Jacob taunted.

Panic jolted me. "No, Jake!" I said automatically, cutting off whatever snappy retort Aunt Rose had been beginning to say. There was _no way_ that I was letting my Jacob face the Volturi, regardless of how many wolves he had to back him. "Absolutely not!"

"Ness, they'll be threatening every human on the continent if they bring their Guard here again," he tried to reason with me. But it would make no difference. There was no way I was going to let him clash with Aro. I knew that he would ultimately let me have my way, which I planned to use to my advantage.

"They aren't sending all of the Guard this time," Aunt Alice said. "Aro and Caius have decided to come, but they won't bring as many as before. Besides, you know full well that Carlisle would never agree to that."

"They're his friends, Jacob," Dad told him.

"_Friends_?" Jacob said with understandable disdain. "They tried to execute his entire family last time they were here! What kind of a friend is that?" He was right, again.

"A greedy one," Aunt Alice replied. "He values gifts much more than his friendships. But that does not mean that our only option is to fight them."

"I don't see an alternative."

"I do," Emily said acidly, stepping out from behind Rob. Her expression had changed from determined to angry. "This has nothing to do with _any _of you! He wouldn't even have bothered to come looking again if it weren't for me!"

I suddenly recalled what Ian had said about Emily's habit of perpetually taking the blame for everything upon herself.

"For _us_," Tara corrected. "When are you going to realize that we're in this together?"

"We're not," Emily hissed back. "You didn't help our father, I did. For more than two hundred years."

"Emily, there's no sense in –" Dad began to say.

"No, Edward," she said, cutting him off. "I will _not_ allow any of you to fight and die for my crimes. I will go to Italy and end this."

"No you won't," Rob said, his voice dangerously calm.

"Em, we've all been implicated," Aunt Alice said quietly. "Even if you give yourself up, they'll still come for us. They plan to accuse us of harbouring fugitives if Edward and I don't agree to join him. He'll wipe out our entire family and take us as prizes. He's done it before."

I heard Emily's teeth grind together.

"That's also what he's planning to do with your coven," Dad said softly. "After he discovers who has the gift, he has charges lined up for each of you. You and Tara for their involvement in their father's work, Ian for almost killing two of the Guard, and an incident in France in the 1940's and Rob for his involvement in the Southern Wars. He'll decree that he's going to wipe out the entire coven and then he'll claim that Tara's thoughts were repentant."

"Then _why_ can't you see that this is how it must be?" Emily exploded. "Why can't you understand? This is _my_ problem! You can't –"

"It's too late for that," Uncle Jasper said as he came to a stop. "We're all in this now, Emily. That is simply the way things are. This is no one's fault."

She glared at him for a moment, and then sighed.

"Whether you like it or not, Em," said Tara seriously. "This isn't something that you're going to be able to resolve alone. He's not after just you. He's after all of us. This has nothing to do with justice."

I shuddered at the idea of once more coming face-to-face with Aro, the red-eyed, paper-skinned villain of my childhood. He had starred in my darkest nightmares since I'd been less than a year old.

"Can we count on the help of the Denalis?" Mom asked.

"I don't know," Dad replied. "They have an immense respect for the law. If they see the Winters as criminals –"

" – Which they aren't," Mom interjected.

" – Which they aren't," Dad agreed. "Then we'll be on our own. I don't believe they'd go up against the Volturi again, not if they think we're guilty as well. We're in accessory to treason."

"Treason?" I asked.

"Not only are we in contempt of an official summons," Ian said. "But we also tried to murder the messengers." He chuckled grimly. "I was a lawyer for forty-three years. I've seen scores of felons convicted on less."

"But you aren't felons," I said.

"We are in their eyes," Tara said.

"Then so are we," Aunt Rose added.

* * *

We returned home immediately. I stared out the window of Jake's Aston Martin, my happiness a distant memory. It was replaced by a constant, bone-chilling fear. The scene from that day in the field five years earlier played through my head. Perfect recall had its drawbacks. The images appeared one after another, as clear as they had been the day I'd seen them; Irina's brutal murder…Aro's ghost-like gait as he drifted across the snowy field to meet my father…the blood-thirsty expressions on Felix and Demetri's faces…Jane's vicious glower. My thoughts were interrupted as Ian and Tara streaked past in Aunt Rose's BMW, Emily and Rob just behind them in Uncle Emmett's Lamborghini.

"You're awfully quiet," Jacob commented as we turned a tree-lined bend in the road.

I looked at him. "I was thinking about the Volturi," I admitted.

He was silent for a moment. "Oh." His fingers tightened on the steering wheel. "We can handle them."

"That's what I'm afraid of," I said softly, biting my lip.

I could see the conflict in his eyes – his nature was chafing with his desire to keep me happy. "Nessie, this is why I'm a wolf – to protect people from the vamps that aren't as morally-oriented as Carlisle. That includes you."

"These aren't regular vampires, Jacob!" I argued. "This is the Volturi we're talking about. This isn't like Victoria or James or Laurent. They Volturi have centuries of experience in dealing with rebellious covens."

"So we do what we did last time," he said fervently. "We get so many vamps and werewolves with us that they have no choice but to take us seriously."

"But this isn't the same as last time," I despaired. "We're in accessory to treason."

"Is that somehow _worse_ than creating an immortal child?" he asked sarcastically.

"Much worse! We didn't threaten our secret; we threatened Aro himself by trying to kill his messengers. You know how he is about his acquisitions. Dario and Fabian must have very formidable gifts."

He frowned. "How do you figure?"

"He would have sent more if he thought they'd need it."

"You've been thinking about this way too much," Jacob told me.

It was all I'd thought about since Aunt Alice had had her vision.

After a moment, he sighed. "Well this kind of wrecked the night, didn't it?"

I gave a hard smile. "Thoroughly."

"Please don't worry," he said, his voice becoming gentle. "I hate to see you stressed out, especially when you look so gorgeous."

I forced a tiny, apologetic smile. "Sorry. I'm being kind of pessimistic, aren't I?"

"A little bit, yeah," he said sheepishly.

"I'm sorry," I said again.

"Don't be. This isn't your fault." He took my hand. "We'll be all right."

I took a breath and let it out slowly. I hoped he was right.

Everyone had gathered in the living room when we arrived. The expressions around the room were varied; concern, distress, sadness, fear, confusion. At the front of the room was Grandpa Carlisle and Grandma Esme, Grandpa Carlisle's arm wrapped securely around her. Both looked acutely concerned. Beside them was Rob. His arms were folded across his chest as he watched a hushed conversation between Emily, Ian and Tara broodingly. Everyone looked at Jacob and me as we entered.

"Good, you're here," Grandpa Carlisle said as I took a seat between Uncle Emmett and Jacob.

Uncle Emmett was the first to speak. "I say we fight."

"I say we don't," Aunt Alice said.

"I say we run," Mom said.

Grandpa Carlisle turned to Rob. "What would you suggest?"

Rob was silent for a moment. "We promised that we would stay as long as we weren't endangering your family." He looked at Grandpa Carlisle. "But now that the situation has changed, perhaps it may be better for us to leave."

Aunt Alice growled irately. "What is it with you Winters? It doesn't matter where you go, the Volturi _will_ come for us as well."

"It's your decision, of course, but as Alice said, the Volturi will still come. I believe it would be more logical for us to stand together," Grandpa Carlisle said.

"I think that if we were to leave they wouldn't lose their incentive to involve you," Emily said.

"This isn't just about treason!" Aunt Alice exclaimed. "This is about adding to his entourage. Please, grasp that."

"Aro would actually kill _all of you_ just to get Alice and Edward?" Ian said sceptically.

"Without hesitation," Dad replied.

"Even you?" asked Rob of my grandfather.

"Most likely," Grandpa Carlisle said.

I swallowed past the lump that had formed in my throat. How could anyone want to kill my peace-loving grandfather?

I looked at my parents. Mom was sitting on Jacob's other side and Dad stood behind her. What would I do without them? As I looked at them, I felt the horribly familiar feeling of panicked vulnerability return. It was just as strong as it had been that day in the field so long ago.

And of course, there was my Jacob. My all-consuming fear for him was greater than that for even my own life. He was the one person on the planet that I was absolutely certain that I could not, and would not, live without, under any circumstances.

Dad gave me a stiff smile that I was undoubtedly meant to be reassuring. "We'll be fine, Nessie, I promise," he said beneath his breath. "They won't hurt you."

It wasn't me I was worried about.

"But you can't know for _certain_ that it wouldn't draw them off," Emily said.

"I beg to differ," Aunt Alice said, tapping her temple.

She had a point, but I could also understand Emily's. Aunt Alice's visions were imperfect, as she so often reminded us, and with the holes that Jacob, Emily, Tara and me added, they were even more limited. Of course, I didn't _want_ the Winters to leave, but if there was any chance that it would save my family…well, the idea was tempting.

"Alice mentioned that they plan to spare Tara," Rob said pensively. "Then why wouldn't they spare Emily as well?"

Emily snorted. "My gift is hardly as useful as Tara's. Besides, Aro's gift makes mine unnecessary."

"So why is he still after Bella?" Rob frowned. His black eyes flicked to Mom. "No offence."

"None taken," Mom said.

"Because her shield, while not as powerful as Tara's, can still be extended farther," Dad replied.

"Yes, but they don't know that," Tara said. "All they know is that I can protect from physical attacks. They don't know any specifics."

"T, you shocked off two sizeable vampires while protecting Ian, yourself and me," Emily reminded her. "Aro doesn't need to know the specifics to know that your gift would be a very valuable asset."

I suddenly felt incredibly blessed to have such a simple gift. I would never have to worry about Aro lusting after it.

"All right, we've established that we're screwed," Jacob said impatiently. "So what're we going to do about it?"

We all fell silent.

"Well, since no one seems to be very fond of my original idea," Uncle Emmett said. "Why don't we consider Carlisle's plan from before?"

"That would still involve splitting up," Ian pointed out.

"No, Emmett's right," Rob said. "I think it's probably our best option."

"So Jacob will take Emily and Tara will go south to La Push," Grandpa Carlisle said. "And we will go north, to Denali."

"That way we can protect the Winters," agreed Jacob. "And then the rest of you can hang out with the Denali while the Volturi poke around Vancouver."

"I'm going with you," I informed him automatically.

"What?" he said, alarm ringing in his voice. "No. You're going to Denali. This could be dangerous. There's no way I'm going to put you in danger."

"You're not going without me," I said flatly. I'd been without Jacob before and I most certainly didn't plan to voluntarily be without him again, even if it was just for a few days.

"Edward, Bella, tell her she has to go with you," he begged, appealing to my parents.

"Nessie, it would be safer if you came with us," Mom said sincerely, but I could tell she wasn't going to force me. She knew what it was like to live without the one you loved, regardless of for how long.

"I agree with your mother and Jacob," Dad said, his eyes tightening with worry.

"But you won't force me?"

They exchanged glances. Finally, Dad sighed. "No, we won't force you."

"Thank you," I said politely. I hadn't expected him to refuse me, but I was grateful nonetheless.

"Jasper, Alice, perhaps you ought to go to La Push with them?" Grandpa Carlisle suggested.

"I don't know," Jacob said uncertainly. "I'm going to have a hard enough time convincing Sam as it is. I think two extra vamps might be pushing it."

"Just Jasper, then?" Dad said.

Aunt Alice hesitated and looked at Uncle Jasper. I could tell that she wasn't fond of the idea. "Yes," she said after a moment. "You can help keep everyone calm," she said, shooting a purposeful look at Emily. "And that way there's a bit of a chance that I might be able to see what's going on."

Uncle Jasper nodded. I glanced at Rob out of curiosity. His face was blank, but I could see that his jaw was taut.

"Then there isn't a moment to waste," Grandpa Carlisle said.

After I had changed back into normal clothes, I was forced to spend the next half-hour helping Grandma Esme, Aunt Alice, Aunt Rose and Emily pack for the trip to La Push. It was decided that Rob and Ian would drive their mates as far as the border, and then we would run from there. They would then go north to Denali, where the rest of my family would be waiting for them.

Grandpa Carlisle had already called to explain the situation to our family there. After some persuasion, he had managed to convince them of the injustice of our current accusations.

"I don't get it, I thought they knew the Winters," Jacob said as we walked to the garage, lugging yet another suitcase. Rob, Uncle Emmett and Aunt Rose were all half-hidden beneath cars to ensure that they were ready for the journey.

"They did," Emily replied in a disturbingly lifeless voice from behind us. "We knew Kate and Irina, anyway. But my father has a gift that changed that."

"What kind of gift?" asked Jacob.

"He can manipulate memories," Emily explained. "It works best with humans, but he's learned to delete certain memories from the minds of vampires as well. He feared that they would betray us to the Volturi, so he erased everything that they knew about us."

"So they don't even know that they know you," Jacob said.

She nodded grimly.

"He can actually change and erase memories?" I asked in awe. I'd never heard of a gift like that.

Emily nodded again.

"How?"

"From the way he explained it, he has a way of seeing every memory that a person has."

"Kind of like Aro," I inferred.

"Only he does not know what the thoughts attached to those memories are. He deleted every memory that either of them had pertaining to Tara and me."

So not only was William Taylor twisted, but powerful. No wonder the Volturi were hunting him.

"We're ready," Mom said. Her voice was calm, but I could hear the strain behind it.

"Okay," I nodded.

"We're all saying goodbye inside," she said, chewing on her lower lip.

"Oh, I'll bet Jasper is _loving_ this," Jacob said as we went inside.

The atmosphere was a combination of apprehension and sadness. I could see it in everyone's faces. No one knew how long we would be separated, not even Aunt Alice. That fact had added to the stress level exponentially.

"Call," Mom said, hugging me tightly. "Lots."

I gave her a tiny smile and hugged her back. I was going to miss her. "I will, Momma," I promised.

"Be safe," Dad told me as he kissed my forehead. He looked at Jacob. "And you keep her safe."

"They won't lay a finger on her," Jacob assured him, wrapping a warm arm around me.

I glanced up at his handsome face. If there was anyone that could keep me safe beyond all doubt, it was definitely him.

"If you try _anything_," I heard Aunt Alice hissing at Emily. "I will know, and I will come after you myself."

Emily chuckled as she embraced her. "I know you will. Goodbye, Alice."

"Bye, Tara," Aunt Rose said, wrapping her arms around Tara.

"Bye, Rosalie," she said quietly. "I hope to see you soon."

Aunt Rose smiled at her. "I'm sure of it."

"Are we ready?" Rob asked quietly.

"I think so," Grandpa Carlisle replied.

"I suppose I'll be riding with you," Uncle Jasper said to Jacob.

"We've always got room for you, Jazz," Jacob told my uncle, clapping him on the back. We led the way into the garage. Jacob's car was parked on the asphalt outside of the open garage door. Jacob and I climbed into the front of the car while Uncle Jasper took a seat in the back. Rob, Emily, Ian and Tara took Rob's Rolls-Royce. Ian would take Jacob's car when we got to the border. From there, we would run until we reached La Push.

"When are they planning to leave?" I asked Uncle Jasper.

"As soon as possible," he responded.

I looked back over my shoulder as we drove away. Mom, Dad, Grandma Esme, Grandpa Carlisle, Uncle Emmett, Aunt Rose and Aunt Alice were standing along the front window of the house as they watched us drive away. A pang of homesickness hit me as the house disappeared behind the trees. I sighed and stared out the passenger window into the impermeable darkness.

I felt Jacob's gentle fingers brush along my arm. "We'll be back."

I forced a smile. "I know. It's just that last time this happened I thought I'd never see them again. And now…I can't help but feel that it's happening again."

"This is the best way, Nessie," Uncle Jasper said mildly from behind me. "The werewolves' presence might be enough to at least delay, if not deter, the Volturi."

"I know," I answered half-heartedly. At least I got to keep my Jacob with me.

* * *

We drove parallel to the border for several hours to avoid all major border stations. We finally stopped at a gas station about half an hour away. Uncle Jasper refuelled while Jacob disappeared into the forest to phase and inform the pack of what was going on.

"Hey, hey, Ness," Jacob said over his shoulder, coming to a stop. "Get me some chocolate, will you? Lots of chocolate?"

I chuckled. "Sure."

He shot me my favourite smile. "You're the best."

I watched my Jacob, my _fiancé_, as he loped off into the woods. For the thousandth time that night, I felt a warm glow at that thought; Jacob Black was my fiancé.

It took me a moment to regain my wits enough to hurry into the gas station to purchase the food. I pulled on the fir-trimmed jacket that Mom had insisted I take as I walked. Emily was already inside, buying two bottles of water and a bag of pretzels. She glanced at me as the bell above the door clanged. She attempted to smile at me, although it ended up as more of a grimace.

"You okay?" I asked her, frowning slightly. She looked extremely pale, even for a half-vampire.

"Not really," she said blankly as she left the gas station again. She gave one of the bottles to Tara, who was standing beside the gas pump, before getting back into the car.

"She's not exaggerating," I muttered to myself. I grabbed a handful of chocolate bars and three energy drinks, deliberately ignoring the quizzical look that the cashier gave me as I dug my money out of my pocket. I tried to pick everything up at once and managed to drop two of the chocolate bars.

The cashier raised an eyebrow. "You want a bag for that?"

"That would be helpful," I said, my tone barely escaping sarcasm.

He passed me a plastic bag. "Have a nice night."

I picked up the fallen chocolate bars and returned to the car. Jacob was still in the woods when I got in. Uncle Jasper was leaning against the side of the car, speaking to Grandpa Carlisle on his cell phone.

He returned moments later. "Oh _wow_," Jacob grinned as he looked in the bag. "You are completely and utterly amazing." He planted a quick kiss on my lips, sending another warm ripple through me.

"Carlisle said that they're about to leave," Uncle Jasper told us as he climbed into the back seat.

Jacob nodded, cracking open one of the energy drinks as he started the engine. "The packs are all set to meet us at the Quileute border. They're ready to fight if necessary."

I gave a shiver that had nothing to do with the cold winter air.

"Sam's not thrilled to be playing watchdog to a couple of half-vamps," said Jacob, taking a swig. "But he'll get over it."

"Technically he'll be playing watchdog to three half-vamps," I reminded him.

"Yeah, but you're practically one of us," he grinned.

I smiled. I was sure Aunt Rose would've had a thing or two to say about that.

When we were about a mile away from the border, we stopped at the shoulder of the road. We all got out wordlessly. Jacob handed the keys over to Ian, and then waited with Uncle Jasper and me by the as the Winters said their goodbyes to each other.

Both Emily and Tara were crying before they were even out of the car. Emily went to Ian first and Tara went to Rob. I couldn't help but smirk as I heard Ian murmur something along the lines of, "Don't do anything foolish," to his sister.

I swallowed hard as I watched the family. I could hardly stand to imagine being separated from Jacob again. As if sensing my thoughts, he twined his fingers with mine and gave my hand a light squeeze. I leaned against him slightly and sighed. Some engagement night this had turned out to be.

When I looked up again, the Winters had moved to farewell their respective mates. I stared at the ground awkwardly for several moments, not wishing to intrude on their personal moment. After several moments, I heard Uncle Jasper approached them slowly, his voice immensely apologetic. "Emily, I'm sorry, but we must be on our way."

When I looked up again, Rob had one arm around Emily's waist and was glowering at Uncle Jasper. "If you don't bring her back to me…if you let _anything_ happen to her, I will come after you," he said coolly.

I gritted my teeth. And here I'd thought we were almost past all of that stupidity.

"Rob!" Emily exclaimed, horrified.

"I mean it," he said to both Emily and Uncle Jasper. "But for now, I'm entrusting you with her life. I hope you appreciate how significant that is."

Uncle Jasper gave him the smallest of smiles. "Nothing will happen to her, I promise you."

Rob nodded curtly, and then looked back at Emily.

"I love you," Emily whispered to her husband as she took a reluctant step away from him, and followed Uncle Jasper.

I looked at Ian and Tara. They were still holding hands and murmuring to each other quietly. I saw Ian give Tara a small silver object.

"Tara," Emily said, her voice wavering. "We have to go."

Tara's eyes flickered to Emily, and then back to Ian. She sighed and let him go.

"Ready?" asked Jacob quietly. "It's another hour to Limestone Junction. I was thinking we could get a hotel there."

I was grateful for the thought. Now that the initial adrenaline rush was wearing off, my eyelids felt like they had lead weights attached to them.

Uncle Jasper nodded. "You all should rest. We can continue to La Push in the morning."

Hand-in-hand with my eternal love, we took off through the cold, black night.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

"Em, please stop." Tara begged the request that I'd been afraid to make. Emily had been pacing since we'd arrived at the motel an hour earlier. Uncle Jasper and Jacob had gone out to hunt soon after we'd checked in. Tara and I had been trying to sleep, but with little success, which was mostly thanks to Emily's incessant worrying.

"Sorry, T," Emily murmured, sinking into a red armchair by the northern wall. She rose again minutes later to stare out into the window.

"What time is it?" I mumbled.

"Daybreak," Emily replied without turning.

"Just call him," Tara urged her.

"Later," Emily said.

I rolled over and shut my eyes again. _Maybe I'll actually get some sleep,_ I thought hopefully. My hopes were dashed when Emily resumed her pacing twelve seconds later.

"Oh for goodness' sake, call the man. You know he's probably worried out of his mind already," Tara grumbled. I couldn't help but find it amusing. I'd never seen Tara in a bad mood. "It's not as though he needs the sleep, unlike some of us," she muttered darkly.

Emily said nothing.

Just as I was beginning to doze off to sleep, the door to our room opened. Uncle Jasper, his eyes now a creamy butterscotch, entered the room. Jacob, still in his wolf form, came in behind him. We'd chosen a fairly remote location to lodge at in order to allow Jacob to remain in his wolf form without raising suspicion. He'd decided to remain a wolf to allow him to keep in contact with the other packs.

Uncle Jasper sat down on a pinstripe chair across from Emily's armchair and took out a book. Jacob curled up on the floor beside my bed and laid his head on his paws, exhaling wearily.

"Energy drinks wearing off?" I asked as I stroked his thick, shaggy coat absently.

His responding chuckle rumbled in his chest. He lifted his head to lick my hand, and then looked at me pointedly, his eyes saying what his mouth could not: _Go to sleep._

It was my turn to chuckle. "Okay, okay." I closed my eyes, leaving my fingers twined in his fur. I was indescribably grateful to have him with me. I probably would've been just as anxious as Emily if I'd been forced to go to Denali with the others.

Seconds after Emily recommenced her pacing, an intense calm filled the room. I made a mental note to thank Uncle Jasper in the morning.

Emily sighed. I heard the springs on her cot squeak as lay down. After that, she was silent.

When sleep finally found me, it was not the calm, peaceful escape that I had been so earnestly craving. Instead, I dreamt of the Volturi.

_They advanced on my family, filmy red eyes bright with bloodlust. My heart hammered in my chest, a cold sweat breaking out across my forehead as I stared into Aro's unnervingly-odd face._

_A cruel smile turned up the corners of his lips. He advanced towards my mother and father before I even had the chance to scream out. And then, suddenly, Jacob was there._

_Horror froze my frenzied heart all together. "NO!" I shrieked. But I was too late._

_Jacob fought Aro bravely, but Aro managed to best him before long. He plunged his sharp teeth into Jacob's throat, his howl cut off by a horrifying gurgle._

_I gave a strangled gasp. The bolt of pain that seared me was equal only to that of the heart-rending torture that I'd felt when I'd realized that I'd sent him away so many months ago._

_"JAKE!" I screamed uselessly. "_NO_!"_

_His body went limp and fell lifelessly to the ground, his dark eyes staring up into the black sky unseeingly._

_Aro hissed a laugh, and then continued to advance._

_"_JAKE!_" I screamed again as I tried to unfreeze my joints enough to go to him._

_"Nessie!"_

Jacob's voice startled me awake. "It's okay, honey, it was just a dream! I'm right here!"

I was confused for several seconds as I tried to piece together what was going on. I had just seen him die in front of me. After a moment I realized that there was no sense in questioning a pleasant mirage; I'd only end up with answers I wouldn't like. I sat up quickly, throwing my arms around him.

"Don't cry, hon," he soothed, stroking my back.

I hadn't noticed the torrent of tears rolling down my face until he'd mentioned it. I buried my face against his neck as the horror of my dream began to fade. Instead, I decided to concentrate on what was real.

Jacob was real and very much alive. I could hear his real heart beating in his chest. I could fear his real breaths. I could smell his wonderfully real woodsy scent. I could feel his real, warm arms around me. Aro, however, was nowhere to be found, and I therefore decided was unreal for the moment.

When I had finally calmed down enough to breathe normally, Jacob drew back to look at me. "What happened?" he asked, smoothing my hair.

"Just a dream," I told him as I studied his very real, very handsome face.

"Aro?" he guessed quietly, his real, deep voice filled with concern.

I hesitated for brief second, and then nodded. If only Aro had been the truly horrific part of that nightmare.

"He will _not_ harm you," Jacob said. He sighed and looked away. "I just _hate_ that he scares you like this."

I cupped his face in my hands and turned his head slightly so that he was looking at me again. "I'll be fine," I told him. And I would be, provided that he was with me every step of the way.

He nodded as my thoughts flashed through his mind. "Forever," he vowed.

It was only then that I realized that everyone was staring at us. My blush reflex responded accordingly.

"Are you all right?" Tara asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," I muttered self-consciously, my blush deepening.

"Bella called for you," Jacob told me.

"Actually, she and Rose have been taking turns calling every few minutes for the past few hours," Uncle Jasper said.

"With Esme and Edward in the background," Jake added.

I sighed. Leave it to my family of immortal worriers to freak out before anything had even happened. "I'll call them back."

"No need." Uncle Jasper passed me his vibrating phone. Jacob chuckled.

I flipped it open and cringed as I waited for the inevitable assault of questions. "Hi, Mom."

"Nessie!" she exclaimed. "Oh thank goodness!" I thought you would never wake up! How are you? Are you feeling all right? Have you eaten yet today? You sound like you just woke up. You should eat. You'll need your strength. And make sure you wear your coat; it will be cold and rainy."

I rolled my eyes. "I know that, Mom. I live in Vancou –"

"Yes, I know you do. And make sure that you pay your Grandpa Charlie a visit. Tell him I said hi and that I'm thinking of him. Say hello to Billy for me, too." My mother continued to babble maternally for another half-hour. Her questions came faster than I could answer them. When she finally surrendered the phone to my father, he was chuckling.

"I think it goes without saying that she was worried," he said mirthfully.

I couldn't help but grin. "Yes it does."

He chuckled again, and then abruptly became serious. "How are you? Is Jacob taking care of you?"

I rolled my eyes. "As if you need to ask."

Jacob laughed with Dad. "Just checking," he said defensively. "Your mother isn't the only one who worries, you know."

"Oh I know," I said. "Uncle Jasper told me."

There was a commotion on the other end of the line, and then Uncle Emmett's voice came on. "Heyya, kid! How's my favourite niece?"

I laughed. "Uncle Emmett, I'm your only niece."

"That's why you're my favourite."

I laughed again. "I'm fine. How are all of you?"

"We're fine, except for your parents, who have been insanely worried."

"That's Mom and Dad for you."

"Emmett, if you do not give me the phone now, I will pound your Lamborghini into the dust with my bare hands," Dad threatened in the background.

Uncle Emmett returned the phone swiftly.

"I apologize," Dad said. "Everyone's been worried, Emmett included."

"Dad, we've been gone less than a day," I pointed out.

"Plenty can transpire in the course of a day, Nessie."

I chortled. "Are Rob and Ian there yet?" Emily and Tara's heads snapped up simultaneously.

"No," Dad said, his voice becoming solemn. "Alice says that they're about half a day away. Her vision's been a lot clearer lately."

"No kidding. I take it that they're pretty worried too?"

"Miserable and panic-stricken would be a little more accurate, I think."

So they were worriers too. No wonder they fit into our family so well. "I think the feeling is mutual on this end," I said, hazarding a side-glance at the suddenly-attentive sisters.

"At any rate, please, Nessie, do be careful," he said pleadingly.

"We need all of you to come home," Mom said from somewhere nearby. "In one piece, preferably."

I felt another pang of nostalgia. "I know, Momma. We'll be back."

"You've been sure to cover your tracks?" Dad said, jumping in again. "Demetri will –"

Mom, Dad and I gave synchronized gasps of horror. "Demetri," I remembered, a sudden chill raising gooseflesh on my arms. "We completely forgot about him."

"We have two shields," Dad said.

"Tara's doesn't go very far," I said. "And can they really keep their shields up _all_ the time?"

Tara looked at me with a slight frown. "What are you talking about?"

I glanced at her without saying anything. I heard Mom inhale through her teeth. "I don't know," she said sceptically.

"We'll talk to Carlisle and call you back later," Dad said. "Stay safe."

"We love you," Mom added.

I swallowed. "'Love you too." I closed the phone and returned it to Uncle Jasper. "We have a problem."

"Demetri," Uncle Jasper half-groaned.

"Oh _damn_," Jacob said. "We didn't even consider the tracker."

"Dad's going to talk to Grandpa Carlisle and call us back," I said.

"Excuse me," said Tara quietly. "Can someone please explain what's happening? Who is Demetri?"

"Demetri is Aro's tracker, probably the best in the world," Uncle Jasper explained gravely. "Edward says that he can follow the tenors of one's mind."

"So that's why you were talking about her shield," Emily said.

"Tara can you cover all of us?" asked Uncle Jasper.

"Easily," Tara said.

"Leave me out," Emily said. "I'll show them what happens to those outside."

"No, Em," Tara said quickly. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Just do it," she said tonelessly.

I looked at Tara curiously. Her shield could actually _hurt_ people?

Tara sighed unhappily. "Fine, you're out."

"Is it on max?"

Tara's eyes tightened. "Yes."

"All right." Emily exhaled and reached out to touch my shoulder. Just before her skin could make contact with mine, she yelped and was thrown back a foot and collapsed on the floor.

Jacob, Uncle Jasper and I gasped. I looked at Tara in awe.

Emily pushed herself up after a moment. She glared at her sister. "You were supposed to put it on _max_."

My jaw fell open. "Are you telling me that that wasn't maximum strength?"

"That was medium at best," Emily said accusingly. "Now let's try this again."

"No!" Tara exclaimed. "I already hurt you!"

"T," Emily said pointedly.

"Let me try," Uncle Jasper offered.

"Jasper," she said uneasily.

"It's all right, Tara," he reassured her. "I'm sure I've had worse."

I cringed as he reached out to touch Jacob's arm. He gasped in pain as he was sent flying across the room. He crashed into a chair, smashing it into tiny pieces.

"Aw, crap," Jacob muttered. "Now we're going to have to pay for that."

I gaped at Tara, who was grimacing. "I'm so sorry, Jasper!"

Uncle Jasper shuddered and got up. "Please, don't apologize," he said with a hint of amazement. He turned to me again. "I don't think we need to worry about the Volturi finding us." He glanced at Tara again. "I think we'll be just fine."

Tara blushed.

Uncle Jasper's phone rang presently. "It's Edward," he said, flipping it open and turning on the speaker phone. "Edward," he said.

"Jasper," Dad replied. "I have Carlisle, Kate and Eleazar with me. We've been discussing the current situations, and Bella has agreed to try to shield us for as long as possible. Does Tara think she could try as well?"

"I can certainly _try_, but my shield has limits, you realize," Tara said, answering for herself.

"Of course," Dad said.

"I could shock them off easier than I could shield everyone," Tara said.

"What sort of gift do you have, exactly?" asked Kate.

"A shield," Tara replied.

"Just a shield?"

"Well, no. I can do certain things with it."

"Like shock people off," Emily muttered.

"A gift that has both defensive and offensive properties," Eleazar mused. "That is extremely rare. Did you have any sort of power as a human?"

"I'm a half-breed," Tara said quietly.

"Oh. Yes, I'd quite forgotten."

"Did you know Eleazar?" I asked Emily beneath my breath.

She shook her head. "Only Kate and Irina."

"Carlisle said that there were two of you," Kate said.

"Yes," Emily replied. "I'm Tara's older sister, Emily."

"And you're both like Nessie?"

"Yes, we are."

"You are gifted as well, are you not?"

"Yes. I read truth."

"She can also force people to speak truth," Tara added.

"Interesting," Eleazar murmured.

"Have you reached La Push yet?" asked Grandpa Carlisle.

"We're a few hours away," Uncle Jasper said. "We should arrive this afternoon. We'll call once we've spoken to Sam."

"We'll keep you updated on Alice's visions. Please thank Sam on my behalf."

"Of course." Uncle Jasper flipped his phone shut.

"Before we go _anywhere_, you three are going to eat," Jacob said to Emily, Tara and me.

"Hurry," I requested.

"Yes ma'am," he grinned. My heart faltered in response.

Once they'd left, Emily went back to pacing. Tara and I exchanged glances. I noticed her playing with a small silver bracelet that I was sure I'd never seen her wear before. "What's that?" I asked her, gesturing to the bracelet.

She glanced at it. "It's a charm bracelet. Ian gave it to me before we left."

I smiled. "That's sweet." I glanced at my own bracelet and was thankful yet again that I was with Jacob.

She nodded. "He gave me this," she said, turning her wrist to show me a heart-shaped charm. Their names were engraved on it. "He promised to give me another when I see him again. Well," she amended, "if I see him again."

I looked at her compassionately. "You'll see him again. Ian doesn't seem like the sort of guy to make a promise lightly."

"He isn't," she agreed. He gaze flickered up to mine. "You're right, I'm being…human."

I grinned. "That's not necessarily a bad thing."

Tara smiled in return. "Em's right. You're a smart girl, Nessie."

I blushed and dropped my gaze abashedly.

Jacob and Uncle Jasper arrived shortly thereafter, arms laden with brown paper bags. I sighed quietly. I would have vastly preferred to hunt.

"I don't know how you eat this stuff all the time," I heard Tara mutter to Emily, her thoughts apparently mirroring mine.

"Just grin and bear it," Emily replied. "We haven't got time to stop for a hunt."

We ate breakfast quickly and checked out just before noon. We had tree cover for most of the way, thankfully. As we ran, I found my mind wandering. How long would we be forced to remain here? And how long could we hide here before the Volturi discovered us? When they did, would they really kill all of us? I could hardly believe that anyone would be that cruel. But then again, this was Aro we were talking about.

"The Volturi aren't evil, Nessie," Grandpa Carlisle would have said. "Aro was my good friend for many centuries."

_"Was" being the operative word_, I thought darkly. Aro knew about Aunt Alice, Mom, Dad and Tara now. Things were different. He wasn't after us for any righteous cause now, if his reasons had ever been _righteous_.

We were just outside of Forks when Emily and Tara received panicked phone calls from Rob and Ian, who had just reached an area with cell service. We stopped to wait for them.

Jacob wandered off, still in his wolf form, and returned seconds later in human form. I tried not to notice his muscled chest, but my cheeks warmed nonetheless.

He sat down on a fallen log, chuckling. "What's got you blushing now?"

"Um," I said quickly. "Nothing."

He laughed again. "Am I dazzling you?"

_You have no idea_, I thought. "Naturally," I replied as he drew me into his lap. I leaned my head against his chest and sighed quietly.

"Still tired?" he asked.

"I had a hard time falling asleep," I said, unconsciously glancing at Emily.

"Emily?" he guessed.

I looked at her again to make sure that she hadn't heard, and then nodded.

"Did she freak out or something?"

"The whole time you were gone."

He laughed again.

"So how annoyed is Sam with this arrangement?"

"Pretty darn," he replied. I could hear the strain in his voice. "Their pack's all in an uproar over it, apparently. They can't agree on whether or not they should be helping us again."

I bit my lip. "They still don't like me, do they?"

His silence was answer enough.

"Jacob."

He sighed. "It's not anyone from my pack. Well, except for Leah," he said sheepishly. "She's not your biggest fan."

I swallowed hard. I couldn't blame her. After what I'd done to Jacob, I deserved her enmity. I deserved _his_ enmity.

"Well, well, well," said a familiar female voice. "Look what the rain washed in."

I raised my head to exchange a confused glance with Jacob, and then looked behind him to see Leah, Quil, Embry and Seth approaching.

"If it isn't the lovebirds," Leah said, crossing her arms.

I shuffled out of Jacob's lap to allow him to rise. "I thought we were meeting you at the border," he said to his pack.

Leah shrugged. "We got tired of waiting. You run too slow."

Jake rolled his eyes. "Nice to see you too, Leah."

Her eyes flicked to the Winters. "So what's the hold-up?"

"They're talking to Rob and Ian."

"Tall and Angry?"

"Angry and Tall," Jacob corrected.

"Whatever," Leah replied dismissively. She looked at Emily and Tara again. "Are they going to be done any time soon? Sam's pack is getting antsy."

"And when they get antsy, they get yappy," Embry complained.

"Just give them a minute. Their mates are pretty big on worrying," Jacob said.

When Emily and Tara finally finished, they wandered back over to us. "You guys know Emily and Tara," Jacob said.

They nodded their heads. Seth extended a hand to Emily, who shook it warmly. "Nice to see you again," he told her.

She nodded with an affable smile. "The same to you."

Seth looked at Jacob again. "Are we ready?"

"Yep," he replied. He took my hand again as we took off running once more through the forest. To my delight, I noticed that my face had not turned the colour of a cherry at his touch.

We tore through the forest, avoiding all of the major roads in town. We passed Grandpa Charlie's house on the way. I paused at the fringe of the forest that lined the back of his yard. I could see him through the window, watching baseball on the seventy-two inch flat screen that Dad had given him for Christmas the previous year. I felt a pang of longing. I wished so dearly to see him, but I couldn't help but wonder how he would react. I'd looked about four when I'd last seen him five years prior. Mom and I had written and called him since we'd left Forks, but we hadn't been able to actually see him.

"You can go see him if you want," Jake offered, reading my mind. "You won't be missing much."

I looked up at him and half-smiled. He was far sweeter to me than I could ever have hoped to deserve. "S'okay. I'd probably freak him out. He hasn't seen me in a while, and, well." I looked down at myself. I looked about the same age as Mom and Dad now.

Jacob snorted. "Do you really think Charlie would care? He knows we're all freaks."

I chuckled, and then sighed quietly. A raindrop hit the back of my hand presently. The grey and purple sky promised a storm. I could smell lightning and rain on the wind. "We should get going to La Push. I don't want to hold us up any more. Besides, I can always see him later. I get the feeling that we're going to be here a while." That brought another horrifying thought to mind. "The pack _is_ watching him, aren't they? They'll protect him from the Volturi?"

He gave me a look. "Renesmee, please. Who do you think we are? Stop worrying already. Charlie's more than covered. He spends half of his time in La Push as it is."

I smiled again. "Sorry. I'm starting to sound like my dad, aren't I?"

"I like Edward," he said.

"That bad?"

He looked at me. "What do you mean?"

"You answered my question with a statement."

"So?"

"So when you answer my questions with statements, it's generally because you're avoiding the answer."

A broad smile stretched across his perfect face. "You're figuring out all of my tricks." He planted a heart-stopping kiss on my lips.

"Augh," Leah said with disgust. "Will you two stop being disgusting and hurry it up already?"

"If you don't like it, you don't have to watch," he said, mussing her hair. Leah growled in response. "Now run along." He studied my face for a moment. "Do you want me to carry you?"

"No," I lied.

"Lying," Emily said, covering it with a cough.

I sighed and shot her a disparaging look. The last thing I needed was to have Jacob fussing over me when he had far more important things to worry about.

Jacob grinned at her. "You're really quite useful, you know." He looked back at me. "I'll give you a ride."

"Jake…" I began to protest.

"Nope," he said, silencing me with another quick kiss.

"Cheater," I muttered dazedly. "That was an unfair use of the dazzling technique."

He shot me a devious smile. "I don't recall there being any rules." He scooped me up into his arms and then he was off again. We had just reached the border when the rain began to fall.

"'Kay," said Jacob, letting me down when we stopped. "Emily, Tara, Jasper, I think it'd be best if you stand behind us, just for now. Sam's not going to be all that happy to see you."

"What about me?" I asked. The last time I'd seen Sam was when Dad and I had come to Forks for Jacob so many months ago, and I could clearly recall him not being overly thrilled to see us, either.

"If he's got a problem with you, he's got a problem with me," Jacob said determinedly. "You're going to be around for the rest of eternity, so the sooner he gets used to that idea, the better."

_How did I ever manage to get a guy like you?_ I wondered as I stared into his dark eyes.

"Finally got here, did you?" Sam said, interrupting my brief reverie. Emily stood at his side, with Paul and Jared behind them. I could smell the rest of the pack in the woods nearby.

Jacob's body language changed instantly. He stood a little straighter with his chin raised. "Apparently," Jacob replied, his voice slipping a few octaves deeper. _Alphas_, I thought.

"So what exactly are you expecting of us?" asked Sam. "Are you just here for sanctuary, or do you need us to help you fight them, too?"

"No," Emily said quickly, stepping around Quil. "We do not wish it to come to that, under any circumstances." She met Sam's eyes squarely. "I thank you for agreeing to protect my sister and me, but I was reluctant even to allow that. I refuse to allow my presence –"

"Our," Tara corrected quietly.

"Yes, our," Emily said reluctantly. "I refuse to allow _our_ presence to endanger your pack."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "No offence, Miss Winter, but we're not just doing this for you. We don't like the Volturi any more than the rest of you."

"Any chance to stick it to the vamps," Jared grinned.

"Of course," she said. "But _we_," she said, glancing furtively at Tara. "Are what has drawn them here. I couldn't bear the thought of something happening to one of your pack members on our behalf."

Sam bristled at this. "We know how to fight vampires, Miss Winter. We are not as weak as you suppose."

I saw Jacob wince out of my peripheral vision. "Okay," he said, stepping forward. "Thanks, Em, I've got it from here." He sighed. "We really just need to hang out here for a while, just until Shorty gives us the okay to go."

Sam's frown deepened. "Shorty?"

"Alice."

"The fortune-teller?"

"Yeah."

"So it's just the two of them?" he said.

"Yes, and Jasper," Jacob confirmed. "Sam, Emily, you've already met…uh, Emily, and this is her younger sister, Tara," he said. Tara stepped out from behind him, blushing wildly.

Sam's expression barely qualified as civil. "They know the rules, I trust?"

"Emily doesn't hunt, and Tara's one hundred percent vegetarian."

Sam pressed his lips together. "Then you'd better get settled in."

* * *

We were welcomed warmly by Billy as well as Jacob's older sister Rachel. She was also Paul's wife of almost two years. We had barely unpacked when we were called for dinner. A monstrous pot of spaghetti was set up in the centre of the small kitchen table. Sam, Emily and Paul joined us shortly after we'd started. Uncle Jasper retired to the couch and attempted to interest himself in the television programs as we ate.

I looked at my plate of human food despairingly, and then glanced at Emily and Tara. Tara's expression matched the way mine probably was about then. Emily looked happy enough.

"How does she always eat this stuff?" I whispered to Tara as we looked at Emily, who was in the midst of a conversation with Sam's Emily.

"I have no idea," Tara said, shuddering delicately. "She's always been like this, too. She actually volunteered at a blood blank one summer."

I gaped. "A _blood bank_? Did she slip up?"

"Not once," Tara said with a hint of pride in her voice.

I ogled at her. "What would possess her to volunteer at a blood bank?"

"Ian dared her to. They've always had a teasing, bantering sort of relationship."

I couldn't fathom the idea of being in such close proximity to so much blood and trying to resist. I sighed quietly and ate, not wishing to offend Billy, who I caught watching me out of the corner of his eye.

After several moments, Tara quietly asked, "Is everyone here a…werewolf?"

I grinned. "No, not everyone."

She nodded and glanced around. "Jacob's father is human?"

"Yeah. And Emily and Rachel are, too."

She frowned. "His mother was a werewolf?"

"No, the werewolf gene was from Billy, but they think it skipped a generation," I explained.

She nodded. Her stance was slightly stiff, her eyes cautious. I'd forgotten that they weren't used to being around werewolves. I glanced around the room. I'd known most of the people in it for my entire life. I couldn't fathom _not_ knowing werewolves.

After dinner, I helped Tara and Rachel wash the dishes. Sam's Emily took Emily on a tour of La Push, while Sam and Uncle Jasper disappeared into the forest to discuss the situation.

"Hey," whispered Jake. "Want to ditch and go for a walk?"

I looked at Tara. "Do you mind?"

"Go ahead," she chuckled.

"Grab a coat first," he said. "It's pretty cold."

"I'll be fine."

He gave me a look.

I sighed. He was worse than my parents. "Fine." I retrieved my coat from his bedroom and pulled it on as we walked out the door. He led me to the beach as it began to snow. He had been right; it was colder than I had anticipated. The cloud-enshrouded sun had long since dipped behind the horizon, cloaking the earth in the night's impenetrable obscurity. I gazed out over the ocean. I could still vaguely see the dark waves as they heaved and rolled. I stopped for a moment, closing my eyes and inhaling deeply. I could sense that something was coming; I could almost taste it in the briny ocean air. I could feel it in the atmosphere. I could see it in the grimly determined faces of Sam's pack. A shiver worked its way down my spine. How many would die this time? We'd only lost Irina in our last confrontation with the Italian rulers. But how many face-offs would it take before our luck ran out? Before we were faced with the massacre that we so dreaded?

"Ness?"

I opened my eyes. Jacob had come to a stop half a dozen metres in front of me. He was looking at me curiously.

"You coming?" he asked.

"Yeah, sorry," I said, hurrying to catch up with him.

"So," he said as we continued along the rocks. "What do you want to do now? We could go see Charlie."

I should have known that he wasn't going to let it go. "Jake…"

"Come on, I know you want to."

I _did_ want to. I wanted desperately to see my grandfather, but would he want to see _me_? I'd changed exponentially since I'd last seen him. Mom and Dad had told me that it would probably be a decade or so until it would be "prudent" to see him again. And then they'd proceeded to give me one of their famous lectures as to why it was so I important to conceal our existence from the humans. As if I didn't already know.

"You're still worried about creeping him out, aren't you?"

I bit my lip. He really _did_ know me too well. "A little," I admitted.

"Hey," said Jacob, stepping in front of me and taking my hands in his. "Charlie knows we're different. He's known for a long time. And if he really cared that much, he'd could've chosen to break off contact with us. But he didn't. You know why?"

I made no reply.

"Because he loves you. He loves you for you. It doesn't matter to him as much as you think it does."

He had a point, but it did nothing to ease my anxieties. I sighed. "Okay, we'll go, but –" I cut off whatever he had been beginning to say. "We'll go tomorrow. I'm too tired to tonight." As I spoke the words, I realized just how tired I really was.

"No problem," he said, scooping me up suddenly.

I giggled and wrapped my arm around his neck. I thought about Grandpa Charlie as Jacob carried me back to the house. I tried to imagine how I would explain my unnatural rate of development. I wondered how long he would only want to know what we could safely tell him.

My mind drifted back towards the Volturi. I had never once doubted Jacob or Sam and their packs, and I never intended to, but not even they could be everywhere at once. If they left him unguarded for even the shortest of moments, that was all that they would need. He already knew far more than they probably would have liked, and we couldn't hide him for ever. Sooner or later, they would discover him, and when they did, I would simply have to trust that Sam would watch over him.

"Hey," Jake said. "None of that."

I looked at him with surprise. "None of what?"

"You're wearing your worried face."

"My worried face?"

"Yeah," he said. "You get this look on your face when you're worried about something. It makes you look exactly like your dad." He tightened his warm arms around me. "If you're worried about Charlie, trust me, we've got him covered."

I gave him a small smile. "I know." And I did. But I worried anyway.

* * *

Soon after dropping me off, Jacob left again for a conclave of the packs. I watched him as he ran across his father's lawn and disappeared into the woods. I instantly felt anxious. Having him gone, for no matter how short a time, was always exceptionally uncomfortable, but it was even worse now that we faced imminent peril.

Once he'd disappeared beyond my sight, I turned from the window with a sigh. I joined Uncle Jasper and Emily on the couch as they watched a baseball game on Billy's television set. I watched for only a few moments, fidgeting anxiously as I tried to engage my interest in the game. I sighed again, wishing Jacob would come back.

Slowly, a supernatural wave of calm swept over me, soothing my restless nerves. Grandpa Carlisle had been wise to send Uncle Jasper with us. I settled back in the couch, suddenly exhausted once more. I elected to go to bed early, mumbling good nights to Uncle Jasper and Emily as I left the room.

"Sleep well," Uncle Jasper bade me.

"Good night, Nessie," Emily said, smiling.

I wandered slowly to Jacob's room at the back of the house. I flopped down on his bed, inhaling his glorious scent with each breath.

My attraction to his scent had always been a mystery to me. Vampires, and therefore half-breeds, innately detested the smell of werewolves. For me, however, it had always been second only to the intoxicating aroma of human blood.

I climbed beneath the covers and waited for sleep to find me. It never came. I'd been tossing and turning for almost an hour when I heard a light knock on the door. I opened my eyes to See Emily standing in the doorway, an apologetic look on her face. "Did I wake you?"

"No, don't worry," I assured her, sitting up.

"Oh," she said with relief. "Might I sleep in here tonight? I was supposed to share a room with Tara, but she's already asleep, and I don't wish to wake her. She's a very light sleeper."

"Of course," I said.

"Thank you." She dragged a sleeping bag into the room and laid it out on the floor. She climbed in and zipped it up behind her.

I lay back down and stared up at the ceiling for a time. After a moment, I looked at Emily again. She was curled on her side, facing away from me. My mind, now fully alert, began to race with questions. "Emily?" I asked hesitantly.

She turned over to look at me. "Yes?"

"Was your father…you know, a good father?" I'd been wondering about that since we'd seen him at the hospital.

She was silent.

I started back-pedalling instantly, afraid that I'd crossed a line. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"No, it's all right," she said. "Yes, he was a good father. He loved all of his children."

"Even Tara?"

"Yes. He loved her, but he was disappointed in her, as though she'd _chosen_ her gender," she said, her voice suddenly going cold. "He was good to my sisters and me. When he wasn't busy searching for a new woman to prey on, he was very attentive."

"By prey, you mean…wives?"

Emily's jaw went taut. "My mother, Helena and Tara's mothers were the only ones he bothered to marry. Helena is the second oldest," she added.

"What was Tara's mother like?"

"Her mother Lillian was very, very beautiful, as beautiful as your Aunt Rose is. He was determined to have the best possible genes for his children."

"Does Tara look like her mother?" I asked. Both sisters were completely gorgeous, but a human with Aunt Rose's level of beauty? It was no wonder why he'd chosen her.

Emily smiled. "Very much so."

"And you? Do you look like your mother?"

Her flawless blue eyes grew sad. "I never saw her. My mother, Gwyneth, wasn't nearly as strong as your mother, or Tara's. She died before I had a chance to see her, but my father told me that I have her eyes. Tara has her mother's eyes, as well."

"Did he love them? Your mothers, I mean?"

She was silent for a moment. "No."

Woops. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

We were silent again. I thought back to that night when this had all begun, when they'd told us about the Volturi appearing at their home. "Can I ask you something else?" I inquired.

"Of course," Emily replied.

"Why did you go to Uncle Jasper that first night when your family came to live with us?"

She chuckled, to my surprise. "Rob was quite upset about that. Honestly, he was simply the first person I saw. But Rob's always been the moderately jealous sort, and he misinterpreted it." I saw pain tear across her face at the thought of her husband. She twisted her wedding band absently.

I bit my lip. "Well, good night," I said quickly, not wishing to make her any more miserable.

"Good night," she said again.

* * *

The following days passed slowly. I managed to invent excuses each day to stall Jacob from taking me to see Grandpa Charlie. I still hadn't been able to formulate a satisfactory explanation, and I didn't fancy the prospect of going to see him without one.

"You can't put it off forever," Jacob told me one evening, almost a week after we'd arrived in La Push. "He's your grandfather, Nessie. He should get to see you every once in a while."

I sighed and toyed with my engagement ring. And then I realized that Grandpa Charlie hadn't learned of our engagement. I winced. The boy that had tried for so long to romance his daughter was now engaged to his granddaughter. What would he think of that?

"You're over-thinking this," he told me. "Just go and see him. You won't regret it."

The front door opened presently. Emily and Uncle Jasper stepped through the door, a thin dusting of snow in their hair. They'd been in Forks all day running various errands. "Happy Christmas Eve," Emily said brightly.

I blinked. Christmas Eve? In the crazy whirlwind of events that had transpired within the past few weeks, I'd completely forgotten about Christmas.

Tara lowered her eyes, a sorrowful look that I couldn't quite understand crossing her face.

"Are you okay?" I asked her, frowning slightly.

She glanced at her sister first, and then at me. "Yes, I'm fine. Excuse me." She rose quickly and left the room.

I looked at Emily, who watched her sister go sadly. "She and Ian became engaged on Christmas Eve of 1988. They haven't spent a Christmas Eve apart since they met."

That would do it. I grimaced sympathetically. "Oh wow. That sucks."

Jacob entered then, dressed only in cut-off shorts. "'Morning," he yawned. Under his blood-shot black eyes were dark rings. I gave him a look. "Did you sleep at _all_ last night?"

He shrugged. "Sam kept me pretty busy."

"You need to sleep, Jacob," I reminded him.

He chuckled and kissed me. "You sound like Seth."

The kiss was enough to dazzle me into a stupour. I completely forget what I'd been talking about. I was about to suggest a hunt when Uncle Jasper's phone rang.

"Who is it?" Emily asked him.

"Alice," he said, frowning slightly. He and Emily exchanged glances before flipping the phone open. "Alice? Have you seen something?"

Aunt Alice was loud enough that I could hear her from where I sat several metres away. "Jasper!" she exclaimed. "They figured it out. They're coming for Tara."

Emily froze. I grabbed Jacob's hand instinctively. We were doomed now, all of us.

"Are you sure?" Uncle Jasper asked.

"Yes. My vision's been quite clear lately."

Complete silence reigned for a moment.

"What do we do?" asked Uncle Jasper.

She hesitated for a moment. "We're not sure. Edward, Emmett and Carlisle are discussing it now. Just keep her close."

"We will. Where are Rob and Ian?"

"It took some doing, but Carlisle managed to convince them to wait and come down with us_._"

"You're coming down?" he said, his voice becoming concerned. "Alice, I –"

"I know, it's dangerous," she said.

I closed my eyes. If this turned into a bloodbath, I could very well lose everyone that I cared about. I looked at Jacob again and swallowed hard.

"_And Jasper?_" Aunt Alice said, her voice softening.

"Yes?"

"_Please be careful._"

"Of course." He closed the phone. "Jacob, please alert Sam. And I should like very much to meet with him again."

I looked up at Jacob. His face had hardened into steely resolution. "Let's roll." He kissed my hand quickly and gave me a lingering look before bolting out the door, Uncle Jasper close behind him. My uncomfortable anxiety set in immediately.

Emily was still rooted to the spot, her gaze distant.

"Emily?" I asked, my brow furrowing with concern. "Are you all right?"

She looked at me. "Not really." She vanished from the room, almost slamming into Billy on the way. "Oh," she said, stepping around him. "I'm sorry."

He watched her disappear into the room that she and Tara were sharing with a raised eyebrow. He looked at me. "Where's the fire?"

"Denali," I muttered.

* * *

I spent the rest of the day pacing around the house. When Billy finally talked me into going to bed, I was barely awake enough to crawl under the blankets. I was out as soon as my head touched the pillow. I hadn't been asleep long when Uncle Jasper's voice awoke me. "Nessie," he said urgently.

I opened my eyes, temporarily disoriented. "Wh-What? What's happening?" I mumbled groggily.

"Have you seen Emily?"

I frowned. Where had Emily gone now? "No, why?"

His eyes tightened. He lifted his phone to his ear. "No one's seen her, Alice."

There was a brief pause, and then a long and shocking string of expletives came from the other end of the phone.

"What's happening?" I asked, sitting up. I glanced past my uncle to see Tara in the doorway, a panicked look on her face, her eyes brimming with tears.

"She's gone," Uncle Jasper said grimly as he ended his call. "She's giving herself up to the Volturi."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

I stared at my uncle in wordless sock. How could she be gone? What on earth would make her go to the Volturi? "Why?" I finally asked.

"Because of me," Tara said shakily.

That made even _less_ sense. "What are you talking about?"

"She still thinks that she can stop them by giving herself up. She still thinks that they just want to punish her for her involvement with our father's…work." She wrung her hands as she spoke. "She thinks that if she just...sacrifices herself," she choked on the word. "They won't take me and they'll spare Rob, Ian and your family."

Uncle Jasper frowned. "How do you know that?"

Tara hesitated for a moment, and then sighed. "She and I have another…gift, if you could call it that, which I'm not entirely sure that you could because it applies only to us."

_Two_ gifts? How was that possible?

"We're not even sure how it happened, actually, but it just developed in the decade that we spent living alone after we left our father."

"Tara," Uncle Jasper said, interrupting her rambling.

"Sorry," she said, exhaling. "What I'm trying to say is, we can hear each other's thoughts."

I blinked. "What?" Even as I asked the question, the pieces began to fit together in my head. The slightly out-of-place smiles and glances at lunch, the sudden, strange laughter at the winter formal, the way they so often seemed to be in their own world… "Oh," I said as realization dawned upon me. "Oh, that does make sense."

Tara raised an eyebrow.

"Well," I amended. "I understand now."

Tara was silent for a moment. She closed her eyes. "I can't hear her. She's blocking me."

"How did she get away?" I asked, frowning. "Uncle Jasper, surely you must have seen her."

"She waited until I'd gone to a meeting of the packs with Jacob," Uncle Jasper said sadly. "You and Tara were both fast asleep."

"I didn't even hear anything," Tara said miserably. Tears clouded her emerald eyes.

Uncle Jasper looked at her sympathetically. "We'll find her," he vowed.

_Yes,_ I thought with a delicate shudder. _But in what condition?_

Uncle Jasper rose and hurried towards the door. "I'll go find Jacob and Sam," he said over his shoulder. "They ought to know of this."

"How does the connection work, exactly?" I inquired of her. "Do you just hear whatever the other is thinking automatically?"

"I can only hear her when she chooses to let me in. When we speak telepathically my shield involuntarily up goes up around both of our minds."

I thought back to what Dad had said about not being able to hear "the females" when we'd first met them. "So when we met you on the first day, you two were speaking mentally, right? That's why my dad couldn't hear you?"

She nodded.

"So right now, she is keeping you out of her mind?"

"Yes," she confirmed.

I mulled over the time that we'd known them. My mind stuck on the incident at the hospital, when we'd met William Taylor. I couldn't get over how normal he'd seemed, and yet his actions were what was now driving his daughter to destroy herself. "What did William want with Grandpa Carlisle?" I asked, realizing that no one had actually explained why he'd come.

Her eyes became cold. "Do you remember when Emily told you that most of the vampire world knew about you and your family?"

I nodded, trying to figure out where exactly she was going with this.

"He is no exception. He's found a woman that he wants for his mate, and he wanted to know how Carlisle saved Bella."

My eyes widened. After all the women he had murdered, it was only _now_ that he had found someone he wanted for his mate? How could anyone be so twisted? "Did he say who she was?"

"Em said that her name's Mia Roberts."

I couldn't imagine anyone joining him after they knew everything that he had done, especially not a human.

I sighed. I wanted Jacob. Things always seemed better with Jacob.

* * *

Two hideously long days passed. Unfortunately, I saw very little of Jacob in the days that we waited for my family to arrive from Denali. He was always either running a patrol or meeting with the packs. Uncle Jasper spent most of his time on the phone or with Jacob and Sam. Tara and I were left to mope about Billy's house, waiting for news from Aunt Alice.

"Hey," said Jake, sauntering into the house, dressed only in cut-off shorts despite the snowstorm raging outside. A stunningly-beautiful smile was stretched across his gloriously handsome face. "Want to go see Charlie?"

"I can't," I said. "Everyone will be here soon, and you know Mom and Dad. They'll freak out if I'm not here when they arrive."

He tilted his head and gave me another dazzling look. "Renesmee, take a look outside. They're going to be a while. We've been here almost a week and a half and you still haven't gone to see him yet. Now no more of your excuses. I know you've been putting it off."

I gave him a look. I still didn't know what I would say to Grandpa Charlie, but that suddenly seemed rather insignificant in light of the fact that we might not have long to live. I swallowed and then nodded. "Okay, we'll go."

As the words left my mouth, Uncle Jasper opened the door suddenly, almost slamming into Jacob. "Oh," he said. "I'm sorry, Jacob." His eyes flicked to me. "They're here."

Jacob and I exchanged glances before following Uncle Jasper outside into the blowing snow. _Please don't be Rob…please don't be Rob…_ I heard the car seconds later. I tried to identify the sound of the motor, but to no avail. I'd never been as interested in cars as my father and uncles would have liked.

"It's Alice," Uncle Jasper said.

Aunt Alice's yellow Porsche appeared seconds later. It had barely stopped when Aunt Alice leapt out, Grandpa Carlisle just behind her. She rushed straight to Uncle Jasper and hugged him quickly. "We don't have much time," she told us. "Rob's only a few minutes behind."

"How is he?" asked Tara concernedly.

Aunt Alice winced. "He's furious, but he's also terrified." She looked at Uncle Jasper again. "I think you should go, just for now."

"No," Uncle Jasper said quietly. "I will face him."

"No!" Aunt Alice, Grandpa Carlisle, Tara and I exclaimed.

"Jasper, you'll be giving him a reason to become provoked if you stay," Grandpa Carlisle said.

"He's not a bad man, but if he thinks that you are the reason that Emily is in danger, he may become irrational," Tara said.

"I agree," Aunt Alice said.

"I ought to have been more vigilant," Uncle Jasper said. "He has every right to be angry with me."

"It's not like she was on suicide watch, Uncle Jasper," I said exasperatedly. He was starting to sound like Emily. "There was no way that we could have known that she was going to leave."

"Yes," Tara said. "Jasper, you of all people know how he can be, and if he gets it into his head, he _will_ try to kill you. He wasn't bluffing when he said he'd hunt you down if anything happened to her," she said grimly.

I shuddered. Misinterpreting my reaction, Jacob wrapped an arm around my shoulders to warm me. I leaned against him nonetheless, grateful to have him with me at last.

Rob's sleek black car screeched up alongside Aunt Alice's car presently. I stiffened instantly and gripped Jacob's arm.

To my relief, Ian leapt out of the passenger side. Tara rushed to him, throwing her arms around his neck. "Thank goodness," she murmured.

"Jasper," he said when he finally managed to tear his eyes away from Tara. "You should go inside, quickly."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because I think it would be best if we had some human witnesses nearby. I've locked Rob in the car, but it's not going to take him long to find the keys."

Jacob snorted.

Aunt Alice grabbed Uncle Jasper's hand and led him inside. I looked at Ian and Tara. "Would he actually kill him?"

Ian's lips mashed together into a hard line. "He loves Emily far more than he hates Jasper."

"That's not really an answer," I pointed out.

Ian looked at the car unhappily. "I know."

Jacob squeezed my shoulders lightly. "We won't let him hurt Jasper, Nessie."

I nodded. I believed him, but I didn't want to see anyone, much less my Jacob, facing off with one of our own family members.

We were barely inside when the door slammed open. Rob's eyes were ablaze with fury. He shot a murderous look at Ian before advancing towards Uncle Jasper.

"Rob," Ian said warily, placing himself between Rob and Uncle Jasper.

Rob ignored him, his eyes boring into my uncle. "You promised to watch over her." His voice was dangerously calm as he continued to move forward.

"Rob," Ian said again, taking a step back towards Uncle Jasper. "Take a breath. Think about Emily. You know she wouldn't want you to do this."

Rob flinched slightly at the mention of her name. "I am thinking about her," he said, his eyes never leaving my uncle. "Killing my twelve-year-old sister before my very eyes and taking my mortality wasn't enough for you?"

Uncle Jasper lowered his eyes.

My jaw dropped. He was really going to fixate on something that had happened centuries ago at a time like this?

"That's not fair," Ian told Rob, planting himself squarely in front of him. "She made her own decision."

Rob gave an infuriated snarl and launched himself at Uncle Jasper. Ian and Jacob grabbed his arms immediately and held him back. I gasped quietly.

"ENOUGH!"

Everyone froze and slowly turned to look at Tara, who was glowering wrathfully at her brother. "Blaming Jasper is _not_ going to bring her back! He has done nothing but help us and this is how you thank him? There was nothing that he could have done to have stopped her. You can't blame him any more than you can blame me!"

I couldn't quite believe what was happening. Tara, sweet-natured, gentle Tara had just _shouted_ at Rob. The idea was almost incomprehensible. She was completely right, of course, but I had never imagined Tara would ever be able to actually show _anger_ with anyone.

Rob looked at her for a moment, and then at Uncle Jasper. Raising his chin slightly, he tore his arms free of Ian and Jacob's grasps. He turned on his heel and stormed out of the house, the pain that I'd seen so long ago on his face after Emily had admitted her past reappearing on his face. Ian cast Tara one more glance and then hurried after him.

Grandpa Carlisle sighed and looked at Tara, who now bore a guilt-stricken expression. "Has he always been like that?"

She exhaled and shook her head. "No. He's never been that bad, actually."

I glanced out the window and sighed. _Oh Emily,_ I thought. _What were you thinking?_

The rest of the family arrived an hour later. I was instantly swarmed by my parents. "Thank goodness you're all right," Mom said.

I chuckled. "Mom, nothing happened."

"I know," she said. "But a mother worries."

I laughed again. "So I see."

Aunt Rose hugged me tightly. "Mutt-boy hasn't been bothering you, has he?" she asked, casting Jacob, who was standing at my side, an unfriendly glance.

"No."

"Good," she said, her gaze flicking to him. "I trust you remember what I told you I would do if you ever hurt her like that again."

"Oh, _I_ remember," Jacob said. "I'm just surprised that _you_ remember."

She raised an eyebrow and gazed at him coolly. "And why is that, dog?"

"Because of the two of us, you're the dumb blonde."

Dad snorted as he walked by, earning a bone-chilling glare from Aunt Rose.

I sighed and gave Jacob a disapproving look.

"What?" he asked defensively.

I rolled my eyes at him. "You know, if we're getting married, you're going to have to get used to the idea of being around her for the rest of eternity."

He smiled brilliantly. "If it means being with you, it's worth it."

A warm glow spread through my body. I opened my mouth to speak, but found that I had nothing to say.

Uncle Emmett cleared his throat slightly. "If you two are about done, we're going to get started," he said, smirking at us.

I gave him a look and then turned back to Jacob. "Come on," I said, taking his hand and leading him inside. We sat on the couch while everyone else stood. Total silence reigned for a moment. Finally, Rob growled, "Now what? Are we just going to let her do this?"

"No, of course not," Grandpa Carlisle said.

"So what do we do?" asked Aunt Alice.

"I'm going after her," Rob said.

"No," everyone said in unison.

"I will not let her die," he said fiercely.

"We're not suggesting that we do nothing," Grandpa Carlisle said. "But there must be another way." He looked at Aunt Alice again. Her eyes were narrowed to slits with concentration. "Can you see anything?"

She held up a finger. After a moment, her eyes flew open. She and Dad exchanged horror-struck glances.

"What? What is it?" Rob demanded.

Dad looked at Aunt Alice before answering. "They've decided to execute her."

My jaw dropped. They were actually going to do it. They were actually going to kill her. I grabbed Jacob's hand instinctively. He squeezed my hand lightly in reply.

Rob and Tara gave strangled gasps simultaneously. Ian covered his mouth. After a moment, Rob walked stiffly to the door.

"That's not a good idea," Dad told him.

"Where are you going?" Grandpa Carlisle asked, looking from my father to Rob.

"I'm going to Italy, even if I have to swim the entire bloody ocean," Rob hissed.

"I'm going with you," said Tara.

"Absolutely not," Ian said, looking at both of them.

"I'm not _asking_, Ian," Rob snapped. "I will not just stand here!"

"If you would all just let me _finish_," Aunt Alice said. "I would have been able to tell you that they're bringing her back here first. They want her to stand trial with the rest of us."

"So they're still coming for us," Dad stated.

I bit my lip. Poor Emily. She had tried to sacrifice her life for us, and now her sacrifice would be in vain. They were still going to kill us all. I looked at Jacob again. His handsome face was creased with worry, his thick brows pulled together in a line. I couldn't fathom the concept of a life without Jacob. _Oh well_, I thought. _I won't be without him for long._ I saw Dad shift uncomfortably in my peripheral in response to my thoughts, but he made no comment.

"So they'll bring her back here before they…" Rob trailed off, his eyes tightening.

Aunt Alice glanced at him and nodded.

"And in the mean time?" Tara said. "What do we do?"

"Is it possible that their…superpowers, or whatever you bloodsuckers call them, are rendered useless in the presence of wolves, like uh…Alice's?" Leah asked.

I blinked. I'd never thought of that.

"I don't think so," Jake replied. "I mean, Nessie and Edward's gifts still work."

"So do Jasper and Bella's," Dad added.

"But she raises an interesting point," Grandpa Carlisle said. "Is it possible that there could be a correlation?"

"It doesn't seem likely," Aunt Alice said. Her theory was that she could see vampires best because she was one and humans well because she had once been one. She had no personal experience as a half-breed or a werewolf, and therefore she could not see them directly. "But anything is possible, I suppose."

"As interesting as that is," Tara said. "That still doesn't tell us what we're supposed to do for the present."

"For now, there is only one thing that we _can_ do," Dad said. "Wait."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

"Here's your coat."

I glanced up from the collection of Tennyson that Tara had brought with a frown. Jacob tossed my coat at me. "What do I need my coat for?"

"You, Bella, Edward and I are going to see Charlie. Now."

I pursed my lips.

"_Now_, Nessie," he said.

I rolled my eyes. "You sound like my mother."

"You make that sound like such a bad thing," Mom said, walking into the room with Dad close behind.

_It wasn't a compliment, let's put it that way,_ I thought.

Dad chuckled quietly.

Mom looked at him, and then back at me. "You know I hate it when you do that."

"I'm sorry, love," Dad said, covering his laugh with a cough. "Come along, Nessie, before you get me into more trouble."

"Did I hear someone say they're going to see Charlie?" asked Uncle Emmett, sticking his head in the door. "Can I come?"

Mom's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why?"

"Because I enjoy making suggestive jokes at your expense in front of your oblivious human father?"

"Way wrong answer," she said. She glanced at Dad, Jake and me. "Let's go."

"Well, it doesn't have to be at your expense. I've got Nessie and Jacob to work with now."

Jacob growled in reply.

"Come on, you know you want me to come. It won't be any fun without me!"

Mom sighed. "If you make even one little sexual joke about my sexual life or Nessie and Jacob's nonexistent sexual life –"

"It had better be nonexistent," Dad muttered.

"–You will pay dearly," she said, her eyes narrowing.

Uncle Emmett gave a disturbingly charming smile. "Not a word."

Mom sighed. "Fine, you can come."

"What?" Jacob and I both exclaimed in horror.

"Let me finish," Mom said. She looked at Uncle Emmett. "You can come, provided that Rose comes too."

"Rose?" he asked in confusion. "Why would Rose want to come?"

"_I_ want her to come."

"Why?"

"You'll see."

"Sweet," Uncle Emmett grinned. "Rose!" he called over his shoulder.

Aunt Rose flashed to his side. "Yes?"

"We've been invited to Charlie's."

"Well, _you_ were invited," Dad clarified.

Uncle Emmett ignored him. "You up for it?" he asked Aunt Rose.

"Sure," she said, shooting a mystified look at my parents.

"Awesome!" Uncle Emmett grinned. "Let's go see Charlie!"

* * *

"Ness, relax," Jacob said quietly as he dragged me towards my grandfather's house. We had parked down the street from the house, as Grandpa Charlie's driveway was not large enough to accommodate all of our cars, plus his police cruiser. My heart hammered faster with each step.

Was I the only one that realized how disastrous this could be? What if he demanded to know what we were? With the Volturi on their way, they would undoubtedly find out, and that would put him in more danger than I even cared to imagine.

"Please don't make me carry you," Jacob said. "I can't imagine that Charlie would like that."

Mom and Aunt Rose exchanged glances, and then looked at Jacob. "Jake, can I have a minute with her?" Mom requested.

"Sure, sure," he said, releasing my hand. He cast me a lingering glance as he wandered over to stand with Dad and Uncle Emmett.

"Nessie, what is this about?" Mom asked.

I took a breath to calm myself. "He's going to freak. We only saw him five years ago and I already look like you and Dad. What if he –" Tears began to cloud my eyes. "What if they find him?"

"Whoa, whoa," Mom said, pulling me into a hug. "Everything's fine, honey. Jake and his pack are watching him. Besides, he doesn't know our secret."

"He's well-protected, Nessie," Aunt Rose reassured me. "They wouldn't dare touch him."

And yet I still felt panicked. He wouldn't need to know the details to know that there was something seriously strange about our family. He already knew more than the Volturi probably would have liked, but how much was too much?

"I know you're worried, Ness, and you know I worry too, but I honestly think he's fine," Mom said, stroking my back.

I took another breath to steady my nerves, and then nodded. "Okay."

She wrapped an arm around me and led me towards the house. "Everything will be fine," she soothed. Aunt Rose shot me an encouraging smile.

I hoped she was right. I hung back as Dad knocked on the door, my pulse thudding in my ears. I took another breath.

The door opened seconds later. Grandpa Charlie looked almost the same as he had when I had last seen him, perhaps with a few more lines in his face. His eyes widened slightly.

Dad smiled warmly. "Hi, Charlie."

"What're you all doing here?" he asked with surprise. "Where's Bella?"

"Right here, Dad," Mom smiled, stepping around Uncle Emmett.

Surprise flashed through his eyes for a moment, but he quickly subdued it. He smoothed his expression and smiled at her. "Bells. Give your old man a hug."

Mom smiled in return and hugged him carefully. "It's good to see you, Dad."

"And you brought Emmett," he said. "And…Rosalie," he said with a tone that was significantly less than enthusiastic. He forced a smile. "Welcome."

"Thanks, Charlie," Uncle Emmett beamed, clapping him on the back.

Grandpa Charlie cringed and massaged his shoulder as he continued to study their faces. And then he asked the question that I'd been dreading. "Say Bells, where's that granddaughter of mine?"

I closed my eyes for a moment and took a final breath before stepping out from behind my aunt and uncle. "Hi, Grandpa Charlie," I said quietly.

I heard Grandpa Charlie give a strangled gasp. He stared at me in wordless shock for several moments, his jaw hanging open. "Is-Is that you, Renesmee?" he asked disbelievingly after he managed to recover.

I looked at my parents apprehensively. Dad gave me a slight nod of encouragement. "It's me, Grandpa."

He gaped at me for another long moment, and then turned to glare murderously at my parents. "You two owe me some answers," he snapped.

I looked away to hide my dismay. I'd known this would be a mistake.

I saw Mom wince out of my peripheral vision. "Dad…"

"I went with the need-to-know policy for long enough, but this _needs _an explanation."

I bit my lip and stared at the ground.

Dad sighed quietly. "May we come in?"

I glanced up hesitantly to see Grandpa Charlie hesitate, and then step aside to allow us entrance.

Jacob stroked my cheek with the back of his hand. I looked up at him with a panicked expression. "Jake, what're we –"

He pressed a hot finger to my lips gently. "We're not going to freak out about this. Bella and Edward know what they're doing."

I sucked in a shaky breath and tried to comfort myself in that knowledge, but it was somehow less reassuring than he'd intended. I clung to his side as we stepped through the threshold of my grandfather's home, my eyes fixed on the floor. I noticed him give us a slightly puzzled expression as we followed the rest of the family into the living room, and then shake his head and mutter something unintelligible.

Jacob and I sat on the loveseat across from Mom, Dad, Uncle Emmett and Aunt Rose. Grandpa Charlie dropped himself into an arm chair and continued to stare at me pensively. I kept my eyes carefully fixed on the carpet beneath my feet. After a moment, Jacob wrapped an arm around my shoulders, stroking my arm soothingly. I was excruciatingly aware of Grandpa Charlie's eyes burning into us. An uncomfortable silence hung in the air for several long moments.

Finally, Mom cleared her throat. "You've changed the living room around, I see," she said, looking around. "It looks good."

"Sue's idea," was his simple reply. After a few painful moments more, he sighed. "So I don't suppose you're going to tell me what's going on."

I looked at Jacob uneasily. His face was inexplicably calm. I couldn't understand how he could be so nonchalant at such a time, when the entire world as we – well, I – knew it was ready to collapse around me. If Grandpa Charlie became a victim to our bizarre circumstances, I knew I would never be able to forgive myself, and I doubted that Mom would either. I wished more than anything that at least one person would realize how dangerous this was and get us out of here.

"No," Mom said quietly. "I'm sorry, Dad."

He sighed. "Good. I don't really want to know, anyway." He shot a careful glance at Jacob and shuddered slightly.

I frowned slightly, confused by the gesture. I glanced up at Jacob. His lips were mashed together in a line as he attempted (rather unsuccessfully) to smother a smile. I looked from Grandpa Charlie to Jacob and back again.

Jacob chuckled quietly. "Tell you later."

Our hushed conversation was unfortunately not quiet enough to escape Grandpa Charlie's attention. I lowered my eyes as I felt him studying us.

He cleared his throat. "So, er…what…happened?"

"She grew," Dad replied simply.

I flicked my gaze up for a moment to see Grandpa Charlie glowering at my father. "I can see that," he said coolly.

I bit my lip, toying self-consciously with my ring.

Grandpa Charlie gave another horrified gasp. I looked up quickly. His eyes were locked on my ring, his face slowly turning from one unhealthy shade to the next. I looked at Mom and Dad worriedly. Their grimaces did nothing to ease my concern. _Is he having a heart attack or something? _I asked Dad worriedly.

He shook his head slightly in reply, his eyes tightening ever so slightly.

"What the hell is _that_?" he demanded, stabbing a trembling finger at my engagement ring. I realized my mistake instantly.

"It's an engagement ring," Jacob said brightly.

I looked at him in utter disbelief. What was he trying to do, kill the poor man? "Jake!" I hissed.

He gave me a placating smile and then looked back at Charlie. "We're getting married next year."

Grandpa Charlie's mouth fell open.

I closed my eyes and wished to melt into the floor and never be seen again. What was he thinking, telling Grandpa Charlie that we were to be married in a year? Of course, I would have married him much sooner if I'd thought my parents would let me, but I knew my father better than that. All things considered, he had been surprisingly reasonable about my relationship with Jacob, but there were some things on which I knew I couldn't get him to budge. The date of my marriage to Jacob was one of them.

"Nice, mutt," Aunt Rose spat, her voice too quiet for Grandpa Charlie to hear. Jacob subtly made a rude hand gesture in reply.

I gave him a withering look. The last thing that I wanted to deal with was his and Aunt Rose's longstanding enmity at a moment like this. As I watched Grandpa Charlie's mouth open and close as he struggled for words, I felt that I should say something. "We were going to tell you." I instantly winced. _Nice, Nessie, _I chided myself mentally. _Really nice._

"I…When…_What_?" he stuttered.

Dad cleared his throat slightly. "But this doesn't change the facts, Charlie. She's still your granddaughter, and we would like very much for you to be a part of her life, as does she."

I nodded enthusiastically and shot Dad a grateful look. He always knew just what to say.

He took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. He looked around the room, first at my parents, and then at my aunt and uncle, and finally at Jacob and me. He gave one last weary sigh and then nodded. "All right. Need to know."

I wanted to weep with relief. "Thank you, Grandpa."

He gave me a weak smile. "You know, for being his niece, you look a lot like Bells…" He stopped himself in mid-sentence. "But anyway, so, er, how was your Christmas?" he asked me.

I blinked. Christmas. With Emily's departure and the imminent threat of the Volturi, I'd completely forgotten about Christmas. "We um…we haven't really done anything. Yet."

"Well, I've got you covered," he said, rising and disappearing into the kitchen for a moment.

"What on earth were you _thinking_, you stupid animal?" snapped Aunt Rose over the sound of Grandpa Charlie opening and closing cupboards.

"Hey, don't blame me!" Jacob said. "I wouldn't have said anything if he hadn't noticed the ring. Besides, he has a right to know that his own granddaughter is getting married."

"Well you didn't have to tell him _now_," Uncle Emmett chuckled. "But I'm glad you did. It's been a little depressing around your house lately. That was the funniest thing I've seen in days."

I ignored him and looked at Jacob. "Did you really have to spring this on him like that? I mean, couldn't we have just sent him an invitation?"

"If you'd sent him an invitation, I wouldn't have had the chance to see him freak out," Uncle Emmett said. "Good thinking, puppy."

"Who's calling who a puppy?" asked Jacob, barring his teeth.

"I'm calling _you_ a puppy," Uncle Emmett snickered.

I touched Jacob's arm as he started to rise. I reminded him of how nervous his fights with Uncle Emmett made me. As annoying as my uncle could be at times, I didn't want to see him hurt anymore than I wanted to see my Jacob hurt. "Not in Grandpa Charlie's house," I said pleadingly, and then added, "Please."

He glanced at me and sat back down with a sigh. He narrowed his eyes slightly at Uncle Emmett. "You'll get yours, Cullen. You'll get yours."

"I'm positively _shaking _with fear," he chuckled sarcastically as Grandpa Charlie re-entered the room, his arms laden with expertly-wrapped gifts. I could tell instantly that Sue Clearwater had wrapped them. I'd seen Grandpa Charlie's version of wrapping. He passed one to each of my parents, who thanked him graciously, before handing the rest of the pile to me, except for one smaller box.

He smiled sheepishly at Aunt Rose and Uncle Emmett. "I didn't exactly know you were coming, so I don't really have anything for you."

Aunt Rose smiled warmly. "That's perfectly fine, Charlie."

"What about me, Gramps?" Jacob grinned.

Grandpa Charlie glanced at him briefly. "Apparently you already got yours," he said, gesturing to me.

I blushed instantly.

"True, very true," he said, giving me a heart-stopping smile. I attempted to return it as I wondered what it was about Jacob that made him so thought-diverting. His mind-blowing attractiveness certainly was a significant factor, but like Mom often said about Dad, Jacob just had that…dazzling quality.

Jacob gestured to the small box left in Grandpa Charlie's hands. "Who's that for?"

"Carlisle," he said. He handed it to Dad. "Could you get it to him?"

"Of course," Dad smiled. "He'll be delighted."

His cheeks coloured slightly. It was easy to see where Mom had gotten her blush reflex from. Luckily for her, hers had ceased to irritate her when she'd become immortal. "Yeah. Well uh…I'm glad you all came by. I sort of forgot to send them."

Mom grinned and opened her package. "Oh, Dad! Thanks!" She held in her hands a shiny new edition of Wuthering Heights. I knew it was one of her favourites, and her version was nearly destroyed from innumerable readings.

He smiled awkwardly. "Well you're welcome."

Dad opened his next. It was a classy-looking musical composition book. "Thank you very much, Charlie," Dad said genuinely.

"Bells mentioned that you play the piano and write music," he explained. "So I thought you might be able to make use of it."

"I will. Thank you," he said again.

Grandpa Charlie cleared his throat and bobbed his head uncomfortably. According to Mom, Grandpa Charlie had always been rather discomfited with displays of emotion.

He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, waiting for me to open my presents.

I cleared my throat and picked up the small box at the top. I opened it carefully. It was a picture frame engraved with the words, "Grandpa's Girl". Inside was a picture of him and me when I'd been only a few months old. "Thanks, Grandpa," I said gratefully, looking at him.

He blushed again. "'Welcome. Just didn't want you to start forgetting your old grandpa."

"I would never forget you," I smiled. I was overwhelmed with the realization that of all the people in my life that I loved, he would be the only one to whom I would one day be forced to say goodbye. And, with the situation being what it was, that goodbye might have to have be made sooner than later. I lowered my eyes to look at the frame quickly as tears began to cloud my eyes. I studied the picture, my throat thick with emotion.

"You okay?" Jacob asked quietly.

I nodded without looking at him. This was certainly not the place to use my gift, and I didn't want him fussing over me anyway. However, I was not able to keep Dad from hearing me. I flicked my eyes up to his for a fraction of a second. He looked at me sadly.

I swallowed and reached for the next package, hoping that Grandpa Charlie would not notice the slight trembling of my hands. In the next box was an expensive-looking child's toy.

"I hadn't figured that you would've gotten this big this fast," he explained embarrassedly.

I smiled again and stared at it for a few seconds more to keep my emotions in check before looking up at him. "That's okay."

I opened the last package to find a brand-new copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Jacob coughed to cover a laugh. My parents and my aunt and uncle all tried very hard to keep their faces blank, with varying measures of success.

"I read it when I was a kid," Grandpa Charlie said, apparently unaware of their reactions. "It was an interesting story, so I thought I'd pass it along to you."

I nodded. "Thanks."

"Hey, doesn't Dracula have like, three wives?" asked Uncle Emmett, a devious expression on his face. "Lucky guy. Literally."

"Are you implying that you want three wives, Emmett?" asked Aunt Rose coolly.

Uncle Emmett backtracked quickly. "Um, well, no, I was just –" He stopped speaking altogether as he noticed the expression on her face.

"_This _is why I wanted to bring Rose," Mom told him.

I smirked. My mother was a veritable genius.

"Say, have you got any food kicking around, Charlie?" asked Jacob.

"Uh," he said, shifting his confused gaze from the exchange between my family members to my fiancé. "No, not really."

"Well maybe we could go pick something up?" Jacob suggested, throwing my father a purposeful look.

Dad nodded in agreement to whatever Jacob had been thinking. "If that's all right with you, of course."

Grandpa Charlie shrugged. "Why not."

Everyone rose to leave.

"Hey, Nessie, why don't you stay and keep Charlie company?" Jacob suggested casually, a smile lighting his face.

The effect was instantaneous. I nodded and sank back down to the couch. "Oh," I said, trying to remember what we had been doing before he'd scrambled my thoughts yet again with his beauty. "Yeah."

"Great," Jacob beamed. "Be back in a few."

"Sure, sure," I mumbled, unconsciously using the expression that I had picked up from him.

The room emptied except for Grandpa Charlie and I. He stood awkwardly for a moment and then resumed his seat. "So uh…how's life in Canada treating you?"

"It's good," I replied. "I like Canada a lot, but it's nice to be home," I said, glancing around the small house.

"Yeah," he said. He stared at his hands for a moment, seeming to struggle with something. After a while, he cleared his throat. "I'm sorry for overreacting earlier. You just took me by surprise is all."

"That's okay," I said.

"I always knew you were different," he said, and then hastily added, "In a good way. So I really shouldn't have been so surprised. But um…it was just a little unexpected. I'm not really good at handling all this freaky supernatural crap…er, stuff."

I smiled. "That's all right. I can imagine that it's a lot to take in."

"Yeah," he said seriously. An awkward silence hung in the air for several moments. "Where is it you go to school again?"

"Point Grey Secondary," I said. I'd almost forgotten about school. I hadn't spent a whole lot of time there since September.

He spent the next half hour asking me about our life in Vancouver, and telling me about his life in Forks. As we spoke, I realized just how much I'd missed his company over the years.

When they returned, we were talking easily, the way we had when I'd been younger, when my world had been a simpler place. At times, I missed those days – those uncomplicated days. In that idyllic, distant world, there was no Volturi, there was no doom lurking just ahead, and there was no death. I hadn't even understood the concept at the time. All I remembered from those days was happiness; blissful, easy, happiness, with my family surrounding me.

Why did things have to change?

After lunch, we returned home, my restless nerves soothed by the success of the visit. Grandpa Charlie still didn't know what we were, which meant that for the moment, he was safe. The pack would watch over him and make sure that nothing happened to him. That knowledge brought me a small level of comfort. As for the fates of the rest of my family, I wasn't as optimistic. Life without anyone of them was unimaginable, including the new additions to our family. I could still plainly remember what it had been like to be forced to contemplate that possibility. And now, just five years later, I was faced yet again with that same horrifying thought.

I had been so lost in my thoughts that I jumped when Jacob laughed suddenly. I had forgotten that our hands were joined.

"You know, you sound exactly like your mom," he told me. "She didn't think we could pull it off last time, either," he said as he brushed my cheek with his impossibly-warm fingers, sending a shiver across my skin. "And we made it, didn't we?"

I sighed. "Yeah, we did."

"So why are you freaking out?"

"I can't help it," I muttered.

Dad and Jacob laughed in unison.

"Well, you've always been nothing if not your mother's daughter," Dad said.

"And this is based on what, exactly?" Mom asked defensively. "The fact that I have a propensity to worry?"

"No, this is based upon many things, one of which is your propensity to worry _excessively_," Dad said.

Mom rolled her eyes. "You know, in some ways it was better when you two couldn't stand the sight of each other. At least I didn't have to worry about the two of you teaming up against me."

Jacob grinned. "We can't help it if it's true," Jacob said.

My worries temporarily evaporated with his scorching smile. "Be nice to my mom," I told him.

"Nice is such a relative term," Dad said.

"Amen," Jacob agreed.

Mom gave Dad a look while I applied one on Jacob. Both quieted instantly.

* * *

When we returned, the family was clustered in the kitchen of Jacob's home. Rob, Aunt Alice and Grandpa Carlisle sat around the kitchen table discussing something in hushed tones while Tara stirred a pot on the stove in silence, her gaze vacant.

"Where is everyone?" asked Jacob as we stepped through the door.

Aunt Alice's thirst-blackened eyes flicked to us. "Esme, Ian and Jasper are hunting. Rosalie and Emmett still aren't back yet."

Dad glanced at Mom. "I could do with a hunt myself."

Mom nodded. "We should be at our strongest, just in case."

I shivered involuntarily.

"And where's Billy?" he asked, glancing down the hall.

"At Sue Clearwater's, I believe," Grandpa Carlisle replied.

Jacob nodded. "I should go bug Sam for an update on the situation," Jacob said. "Be back in a flash." He kissed me quickly before bolting out the door, yanking his shirt off as he went in spite of the snow that was drifting down from the smoke-grey sky.

I looked away to keep from reacting. I stumbled to the couch and turned the TV on to clear my head. The conversation at the table resumed beneath the sound of the television. I flicked through the channels idly, unable to concentrate on what I was watching.

After several minutes, I sighed and gave up. I decided to go for a walk, zipping my coat up as I made my way to the door.

"Where are you going?" inquired Aunt Alice.

"Just to the beach. I won't be long," I said over my shoulder. I shut the door behind me and wandered down to the rocky shoreline. I inhaled slowly, the cool winter air filling my lungs, and then exhaled in a cloud of condensation.

"Hi."

I shrieked in surprise at the sound of Aunt Alice's greeting. I looked down her and sighed with mild irritation. "You scared me."

"Sorry," she apologized. "I just wanted to ask you how it went with Charlie. They didn't really need me in there anyway."

"Well, after he stopped freaking out, we actually had a decent conversation," I said. "It was good to see him again."

"Charlie's always been my favourite human," she smiled.

"You've always said that Jimmy Choo is your favourite human," I reminded her. Aunt Alice was a loyal fan of Jimmy Choo shoes.

"Well, right after him, then."

I smiled in spite of myself.

"You know that whatever happens, you'll be all right, don't you?" she said.

I looked at her in surprise. "What?"

"Well you didn't honestly think that we were going to let you take the fall with us if things turn sour, did you?" she asked, as though I had missed something obvious.

A sick feeling replaced the nervousness. "You're sending me away?" I whispered. I instantly thought of Jacob. Not knowing his fate would be worse than dying myself.

"No, not necessarily," she said. "Carlisle's still optimistic that we can resolve this peacefully although personally, I don't see how."

"But…if it does turn into a metaphorical bloodbath, you're going to send me away."

She nodded. "With Jacob, of course."

That was a considerable relief. At least that meant that his survival was ensured. A life without my family but with Jacob was still better than no life at all, but only marginally.

Her voice abruptly became sad. "Either way, we'll be one person short when we go back to Vancouver. Well, two, really. Maybe even three."

"What do you mean?"

"The Volturi aren't going to give Emily back now that they have her, and if she dies, Rob will undoubtedly kill himself, and he'd most likely do that by killing Jasper," she choked. "That's how I realized what she was doing."

I stared at her for a moment. "What are you talking about?"

Her face became agonized. "I had a vision of Rob…killing Jasper. I knew that there was only one reason Rob would do something that would so inevitably result in his own death, and that was if he got it into his head that Jasper had done something to cause Emily harm. And, of course, we would have no choice but to kill him…"

My sick feeling worsened. I felt my hands beginning to tremble. "Does Uncle Jasper know?"

She shook her head.

"But…the f-future changes, right?" I stuttered in horror. "It doesn't necessarily mean that he's going to kill him, does it? I mean, maybe something will change. Maybe Emily won't die. Maybe Ian will talk him out of it or something. Just because you saw it once doesn't mean it will happen? That's possible, isn't it?" I babbled.

She forced a weak smile. "Anything's possible, Renesmee."

I closed my eyes. This couldn't be happening. Perhaps I would suddenly wake up to find myself in my bed in Vancouver, my mother gently nudging me awake to inform me that it was time to get ready for school. I opened them experimentally. To my dismay, I was still a wintry afternoon by the ocean in La Push, and we were all still marked for death.

I swallowed hard, tears welling in y eyes. I stared furiously at the rocks beneath my boot-shod feet. _Why us? _I demanded of whatever force had placed us here. Why was it that every time things started to work out, they suddenly caved back in again? Was there was some supernatural entity with a personal vendetta against my family? Were we being punished for what we were? That hardly seemed fair, as none of us had chosen what we were, with the exception of my mother. But if there was one thing that I had learned over the course of my short existence, it was that life was definitely not fair.

Aunt Alice hugged me suddenly. "Don't listen to me. I'm sure everything will work out. We've been in this sort of situation before, and we always get out of it somehow. Why should this time be any different?"

_Because this time we're actually guilty,_ I thought to myself.

She drew back after a moment, leaving one arm wrapped around my waist. "Come on. Let's go back to the house. Tara's making chicken soup. Supposedly it has some sort of positive effect on humans, so we'll see if the principle holds."

I could smell Tara's chicken soup the moment we stepped through the door. Ian, Grandma Esme, Uncle Jasper, Uncle Emmett, Aunt Rose, Mom and Dad had already gotten back. Ian and Aunt Rose seemed to be watching the news for a lack of something better do. Mom read on the floor across from them, Dad's arm wrapped around her as he studied her face. Uncle Emmett and Uncle Jasper seemed to be in the midst of a poker game on the opposite end of the table from Grandpa Carlisle and Rob, who were still deep in conversation. Grandma Esme, who was helping Tara in the kitchen, smiled warmly at us as we entered.

"Is Jacob not back yet?" I asked.

"No," she replied. "But he should be back before long."

I went to sit with Aunt Rose and tried to ignore the inevitable feeling of discomfort at our separation. She stroked my hair absently as she watched the news. I laid my head on her shoulder and tried to centre my attention on the day's events as they were played across the screen of Billy's ancient television. I randomly wondered why we hadn't bothered to replace it yet. The reception was spotty at best.

"Emmett," Aunt Rose called over her shoulder as the sports highlights came on.

Uncle Emmett and Uncle Jasper zipped over to join us, an eager glint in their eyes. After watching the football statistics for a few moments, Uncle Emmett laughed victoriously. "Cough it up," he demanded of Uncle Jasper.

Uncle Jasper rolled his eyes and passed him a fifty dollar bill.

"Don't get cocky yet," Dad cautioned Uncle Emmett. "They've yet to get to baseball."

Only my uncles would be betting on human sports when we were facing imminent destruction.

"And look at that," Uncle Jasper said, his passive tone subtly smug as it was announced the Baltimore Orioles had buried the New York Yankees over the weekend.

Uncle Emmett's jaw dropped. "_What?_" He whipped around to glare accusingly at Aunt Alice, who was sitting on Mom's other side. "You promised me that they would win!"

She shrugged lightly and smiled. "I lied."

Uncle Emmett glowered at her. "I will get you for this, little sister."

Her smile widened. "Oh, I know," she said, tapping her temple.

He shook his head in disbelief and then turned to Uncle Jasper. "Let's just finish the game."

"I don't know," Uncle Jasper said. "Can you afford to lose much more?"

Aunt Rose and I exchanged incredulous glances and tuned them out.

"Soup?" asked Tara lifelessly, offering me a steaming mug.

I tried to keep the pity from showing on my face as I nodded gratefully. "Thanks," I said.

She nodded shortly and then wandered back to the kitchen.

I stared into the mug as I stirred it idly. I thought about the events that had brought us to this moment, and wondered how different things might have been if even one small thing had gone differently. If we had lived a little closer to Vancouver and been placed in a different high school, if we had just waited a year to start school, like Dad had wanted, our current situation might not have existed. Of course, that would have meant missing out on meeting the Winters, but perhaps their lives would have been better if we had. Perhaps Emily would have still been with us and Rob wouldn't be so homicidal towards my uncle.

But things hadn't gone differently, and here we were. I sighed and ate a spoonful of soup. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ian looking at his mate with an expression of solicitude. I couldn't blame him for worrying; she seemed rather zombie-like.

I reflected on Emily's sacrifice as I ate. If only it hadn't been in vain. I felt so incredibly helpless to save the ones I loved, as she probably had. I wished desperately that there was something more that I could do, something that would save them. It felt like a coward for being the only one of my family members who was guaranteed to survive the confrontation, aside from Jacob.

_That doesn't mean they won't hunt you_, a part of my brain reminded me. _You could end up just as dead as the others._

I gazed outside as the bleak weather began to worsen. The frigid wind rattled the windows of my fiancé's childhood home as the snow became sleet. I wondered how long it would take them to find us. Minutes? Hours? Days? Weeks? Months, perhaps? But they would never stop looking – of that I was certain.

I suddenly felt weak and vulnerable.

I felt _mortal_.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

"So what was that back at Grandpa Charlie's?" I asked Jacob that evening. He had insisted that I take the bed while he sprawled out on the floor beside me.

"What was what?" he asked, propping himself up on his elbow to look at me.

"Grandpa Charlie said something about not really wanting to know what we were and then he looked at you and shuddered."

He grinned. "I sort of um…almost phased in front of him once."

"_What_?" I choked.

He grinned. "I think that's probably when he started avoiding the paranormal."

"Jacob, why in heaven's name would you _phase_ in front of him?" I asked in disbelief. He knew better than that.

"Well, back then the thought was to drop the act a little and let him guess what we were. Of course, he'd guess wrong, but he'd have some sort of answer. Lucky for us, he didn't even _want_ to know," he said. "Charlie's not really a fan of the abnormal."

"Yeah, I got that impression," I murmured.

"Then again, what kind of reaction would you expect? Charlie's reaction was perfectly normal. It was always your mom that was the weird one when it came to dealing with freaky stuff like vamps and werewolves."

He was right. It probably would've been strange, even scary to a human. "Why wasn't Mom afraid?" I asked him.

He shrugged with a chuckle. "You'd have to ask her."

I toyed with the edge of the comforter for a moment. "Were you afraid?" I flicked my gaze back to his.

He glanced away for a moment and then nodded. "Yeah. I didn't know any of this stuff was real. I thought it was all just myths and superstition. I didn't even know that vamps were real for sure until I started phasing. That wasn't a fun time. I got your mom real mad, too." He grinned.

I frowned. "Why would Mom care?"

"Well, we became best friends in the months that your dad was gone."

I winced and tried to keep myself from remembering what life without Jacob had been like. The horrible, sickening feeling twisted my stomach suddenly. I swallowed hard and nodded.

Apparently unaware of my reaction, Jacob continued. "So when I started phasing, Sam told me that I couldn't tell her what I was and that I couldn't see her again, that I'd be putting her in all kinds of danger."

I could see the wisdom in that. I'd heard the real story of what had happened to Emily Uley's face.

"So I had to ditch her for a few weeks. She figured out what I was after a while, the same way she figured out what your dad is. It wasn't too long after that that Alice came back and then she and your mom had to take off to Italy to…"

I shuddered.

"Sorry," Jacob said quickly.

"S'okay," I reassured him.

Jacob glanced at the clock on his night table. He yawned and lay back down. "Good night, honey."

I envied the way Jacob could fall asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. I had particularly difficult falling asleep that night. Perhaps it was Jacob's snoring. Perhaps it was the scream of the ceaseless wind as it shook the windows. Perhaps it was the hushed voices coming from the living room. Perhaps it was the grim feeling that had settled over the house. Perhaps it was all in my head.

The following morning, my mother woke me at the crack of dawn.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Mom said gently, drawing me out of unconsciousness. "It's time to wake up."

I opened my eyes and stared up into my mother's exquisite pale face. Aunt Rose was just beside her and resolutely ignoring the room's other occupant, who was still snoring loudly.

I yawned and glanced at the clock on the nightstand. I frowned. "What for?"

"We're all going for a hunt," she told me.

I sprang out of bed eagerly at that. I was so sick of human food. It seemed to be all that I'd been allowed to have recently. It felt like a millennia since I'd last gone for a good hunt.

"I'll wake Jacob," Mom said.

I paused, frowning slightly as I looked at my sleeping Jacob. "Do you have to? He's been so tired lately," I said, taking in the dark circles beneath his eyes. I knew he'd been sneaking out to run patrols with the packs. Like the rest of my family, he was excessively over-protective.

"I'm sure he'll want to come," Aunt Rose said. She shuddered as he gave a particularly loud snore. "For the life of me, I cannot understand what you see in him."

I looked back at him. _For the life of me, I can't understand what he sees in _me, I replied wordlessly.

"Um…" Mom sighed, her expression suddenly taking on a guilty look. "Alice is waiting for you in the other room."

I stopped dead and gave her a wounded look.

"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed. "Alice insisted. You know how dangerous it is to say no to Alice."

I sighed and squared my shoulders. _Just be assertive,_ I told myself wordlessly. _Just be firm and assertive._ I strode across the hall and opened the door to the room that Emily and Tara had been staying in, although Tara hadn't touched it since Emily had left. Aunt Rose followed me.

I groaned as I opened the door. The entire bed was covered in cosmetics and boxes of designer clothes. "Aunt Alice…why?"

She glanced up and smiled brilliantly, ignoring my grumblings. "Nessie! You're up! Thank goodness. I was getting bored of waiting."

I glanced over my shoulder to glare at Mom, who was standing in the doorway of Jacob's room and mouthing apologies. I shook my head and sighed.

"Do you need any help?" Aunt Rose asked.

"Please stay," I begged as the idea of being left alone with my fashion-obsessed aunt and her massive bag of horror sent a thrill of panic through me.

Aunt Rose laughed at my expression. "All right."

Aunt Alice rolled her eyes. "_Such_ a Bella," she muttered.

I turned back to Aunt Alice and mustered what little courage I had in me. "No," I said simply.

Aunt Alice blinked. "No what?"

"No."

She chuckled. "No what, Nessie?"

"Whatever you want to put me in, no."

Aunt Alice laughed. "Good one. All right, so what we have here is –"

"No."

Aunt Alice lifted her dark eyes to mine and stared at me for a moment. "What was that?" she asked at last.

"Uh…" I swallowed, and then sighed. "Never mind." In my experience, it was always easiest to let her have her way.

"That's better," she said. "Now as I was saying, here we have a…"

I tuned her out with a slight sigh, nodding when appropriate and fixing a falsely-enthusiastic look on my face.

Aunt Rose looked at my sympathetically.

When the torture ended half an hour later, the rest of the family was already assembled in the living room and waiting for me. Grandma Esme, Grandpa Carlisle, Ian, Dad and my uncles smiled at me. Rob stared out the window at the grey wintry morning with dead gold eyes while Tara stared at the floor. Neither seemed to notice my presence.

"Did you sleep well, honey?" Grandma Esme inquired as I went to stand with Dad. He wrapped an arm around me and kissed the top of my head.

"Yes, thank you," I replied, smiling at her. "Sorry to keep you all waiting. Aunt –"

"Alice," everyone said understandingly. Rob and Tara remained silent.

Dad chuckled. "I told them."

"Did someone call?" Aunt Alice trilled as she strode into the room.

Grandpa Carlisle smiled. "Never mind. Where are Rosalie, Bella and Jacob?"

"I don't know about Bella, of course, but Rosalie is putting Nessie's clothes away," Dad said. "Jacob is –"

"Right here," Jacob said, appearing behind Aunt Alice. He crossed the room to stand at my other side. "Sorry."

"How'd it go?" he asked.

"Horrible," I murmured.

He laughed again. "I'm sorry, baby." He cupped my face in one of his huge hands and kissed me. A warm sensation worked its way from my lips to the tips of my toes. "Better?" he asked when our lips parted.

"You have no idea," I murmured.

He smiled.

When I finally looked away, I briefly caught a bittersweet look on Dad's face, one that he clearly hadn't meant for me to see. He glanced away quickly.

I sighed. _Oh Dad…_ I thought. _I had to grow up some time._

"Are we ready?" asked Uncle Emmett.

"Yes," Grandpa Carlisle said, glancing around.

"Well, let's get going, then!" Uncle Emmett led the way out the door. We all ran together for a time before branching off to chase our individual queries.

"Give me a sec," Jacob said. "I've got to phase."

I slowed to a stop and watched him as he loped out of sight. He returned half a minute later as a massive russet-coloured wolf, carrying his clothes in his mouth. He dropped them by a tree before giving me a purposeful look.

"Ready?" I asked.

He barked an eager reply and then tore off through the woods.

I smiled and followed him. We hadn't been running for long when I caught the scent of a black bear. I glanced at Jake to see if he had smelled it as well. He was already looking at me, the sides of his mouth lifted in a grin that was just as breathtaking as his human one.

"Ready?" I asked him under my breath.

His grin widened.

We stalked towards our prey, our bodies tensed as we slowly moved closer. I listened to its heartbeats as it casually grazed in a berry bush. The scent of its rich blood brought a rush of saliva to my mouth and set my throat to burning. I glanced at Jacob, who nodded slightly to me. That was all the invitation I needed.

With a final breath, I launched myself out from the stand of brush behind which we'd been hiding. The bear's head snapped up. His jaws parted in a snarl as I gave my own. Jacob appeared beside me, growling fiercely.

The bear's snarl cut off. He paused and looked at us in understandable confusion. What sort of creature could have ever imagined being hunted by such a pair? I took advantage of his surprise and wrapped my arms around his neck, breaking it. I sank my teeth through its thick hide and drank deeply.

After we had eaten and drunk our fills respectively, we returned to where Jacob had stashed his clothes. He took a moment to lick the blood from his fur before picking up his clothes and running deeper into the woods to phase back and change.

I felt a nearby stump to gauge how damp it was. Judging that it was dry enough for me, I lowered myself onto it and glanced up at the eternally clouded sky as I waited for Jacob to return.

He didn't keep me waiting long. I felt his strong arms slip around me from behind after only a few moments. He picked me up and slid onto the stump before setting me in his lap. I giggled and laid my head against his warm chest, contented to forget the dangers surrounding us for a moment and just be Jacob and Nessie, as it had been in those better, less complicated times.

Jacob sighed contentedly. "It's been ages since we've just hung out."

"Yeah." It felt like an eternity had passed since we'd been able to spend time as just the two of us. With so many other people always in the house, – most of whom never ate nor slept – it was difficult to get a moment alone. And now that we were engaged, I was sure my father would find a way to make our times alone together even less frequent.

Of course, if the Volturi had their way, none of that would matter.

I swallowed and nestled deeper into Jacob's arms. I toyed with my promise bracelet to take my mind off of the matter. There was no need to fixate on that now.

But, as though he'd sensed my thoughts anyway, Jacob said, "You realize that they won't hurt you, don't you?"

I bit my lip. "Well, sure, but…" I swallowed. "What about everyone else?"

That brought him up short. He sighed and stroked my arm. "Well, we'll have each other, no matter what."

I pursed my lips. "But they'll keep hunting, Jake. They won't stop hunting us until they catch up."

He pressed his lips to the top of my head. "They won't catch up if I can help it. I would rip every single one of them apart before they touched you, I can promise you that."

His words, comforting as he'd intended them to be, provided me with no consolation. They sent a chill of fear across my skin. Yes, I knew he would fight for me. But I also knew that the odds of him getting them all before they got him were nothing short of negligible.

I shuddered.

He stroked my arm, misinterpreting my reaction. "Come on," he said. "Let's get back to the house. They're probably waiting for us."

I nodded. I moved to stand, but he caught me in his arms and held me close as he ran south and back to the house.

"I could've run, you know," I said.

"I know," he replied.

When we returned, Dad and Uncle Emmett were play-fighting. Mom, Grandma Esme, Aunt Rose and Aunt Alice were watching them. Ian and Tara stood to the fringe of the group, observing again. Her head rested against his chest, his arms wrapped around her. Rob and Grandpa Carlisle were standing near the door, discussing something intently in low voices. Uncle Jasper stood at Grandpa Carlisle's side, his expression careful as he looked at Rob.

"I'm going to go find my dad," Jacob told me. "Be back in a few."  
I nodded and watched the conversation between Rob and Grandpa Carlisle. As usual, I found myself burning with curiosity. It struck me as odd as I realized that of the two, Rob was the elder. Grandpa Carlisle's profound wisdom and maturity had always made him seem older.

"We'll find her," I overheard Uncle Jasper vow, interrupting my thoughts.

Rob's body stiffened, his topaz eyes hardening. "We wouldn't have to find her if you hadn't let her go," he hissed through barred teeth. After a moment, he glanced back at Grandpa Carlisle. "I shall take what you've said into consideration, but I'm unable to promise anything. My self-restraint is not nearly as formidable as you suppose."

"I have the utmost confidence in you," Grandpa Carlisle said sincerely.

"Then I hope we will not find it to be misplaced," Rob replied, and then shot a final scathing glare at Uncle Jasper before turning away.

I jumped slightly as someone sighed beside me. I craned my neck up to see Ian, his gaze training disappointedly after Rob. I hadn't even heard him approach. "He really can't get over it, can he?" the gigantic vampire muttered.

I looked back at Rob. "Why do you put up with him, then?"

Ian looked down at me with mild surprise. "He's my brother. Aside from Tara, he's been my closest friend since I was born into this life. He's taught me everything I know about vampirism and self-control. I love him dearly, but at times I really cannot understand the things he does."

That made two of us.

"So you've known him from the time you were changed?"

Ian smiled grimly. "Almost. Did you ever hear the story of how I became as I am?"

"Emily said that you fought at Dieppe and were changed after your airplane was shot down," I said.

His eyes widened. "That's truly all she told you?"

I thought for a moment. "She said that you were changed by a vampire who bit you with the intention of drinking your blood, but was scared off by an exploding mortar bomb, leaving the venom to spread," I said.

"Well," Ian said with surprise. "As idiotic as my sister can be about her own safety, she's really been very kind. What she's told you is an almost humorously-mild version of my transformation and my first few weeks as a newborn."

I shifted my body to face him, my interest instantly ignited.

His voice was reflective as he began. "Unlike the rest of my family, I was born into a very good home. I experienced a marvellously happy childhood on our little farm in Detroit. I was very close with my parents, who of whom were Scottish-born immigrants. We had never been particularly poor, but nor had we ever known wealth.

"I was seven years old when the Great Depression struck. My parents had always been exceptionally good at handling money, so for many years, we continued our lives much as we had in times of prosperity. But, after a time, the money they had worked so hard to save began to run out. They strove to hide the truth of our imminent destitution from my younger sister Henrietta and me, but we were no longer children. It wasn't long until we realized how poor we had become.

"When World War Two broke out in 1939, I was not yet seventeen – more than a year too young to join the war. But, like your Uncle Jasper, my height was more than sufficient to deceive the recruiters. At that time, the United States was not officially involved in the war. So, despite my father's pleading to remain at home, I took a train north and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in the hopes that my income would help my family. The army offered money, food, lodging and most importantly, adventure. In 1941, I was placed in Squadron No. 414, in which I flew a Lancaster bomber. We were trained on Canadian soil and then were deployed to Britain to await action.

"And wait we did. We had been stationed in Britain for almost three years by the time the assault on Dieppe was planned. Like my fellow comrades, I was young and naive. I was impatient to fight, to experience the glory of battle and make my mark on history." He chuckled darkly, his yellow eyes becoming distant. "So young…" he murmured.

I noticed him toying with a silver ball chain at his neck absently. "What's that?" I asked, gesturing to it.

He blinked, my words drawing him out of his reminiscing. He glanced down at the chain and smiled grimly. He drew it over his head and passed it to me.

I gasped as I realized it was a dog tag. It read,

"_McMaster, Ian S.  
__A-233907 T41 AB+  
__Ian McMaster, Sr.  
__232 Williams Rd  
__Detroit, Mi R.C._"

I stared at in wordless sadness for a moment. "You were named for your father."

He nodded.

As I turned the small piece of metal in my hands, I could only imagine his parents' faces when they would have received the second piece. "So your family got the other half," I whispered. I could only imagine their pain, having only a piece of metal left of their son.

"No," he said, his voice growing sad.

I blinked in confusion. "I don't understand. Isn't that what they did in those days?"

"They still do it now," he said. "But I was reported as Missing In Action. They never knew what became of me, thankfully." His eyes became distant again.

I frowned and looked back at the dog tag. "So where's the other one?"

He glanced over his shoulder at Tara, who was embracing Rob, Aunt Rose watching her sympathetically. "Tara wears it." He cleared his throat. "As I was saying, I was eager to temper my mettle in the heat of combat. I was so sure of myself, so utterly self-confident that I was prepared – over-prepared, even – for whatever awaited on the grim shores of France.

"We crossed the English Channel in the early hours of August 19, 1942, in the hopes of attacking under the cover of darkness. Unfortunately, some of the ships in our envoy drifted off course, and we arrived as the sun began to rise behind the horizon, betraying our positions to the Germans." He glanced at the dog tag. "I remember that night as though it were yesterday.

"I assumed my position on a canvas sling seat in the nose of the plane and positioned myself in front of the controls of my gun. I was the mid-upper gunner, meaning that I operated the gun directly beneath the cockpit of the plane.

"For a young man with the promise of battle and excessive amounts of adrenaline coursing through his veins, the flight was interminably long. In reality, it was a mere forty minutes.

"We were easily defeated. The battle lasted only a few hours. They drove us back from land, sea, and air. At one point, towards the end of our ninth circle of the beach, our pilot and engineer were shot through the windshield of the cockpit, and the plane began to nosedive. The three remaining crewmen and I rushed to the exit and jumped out. However, my parachute stuck when I jumped."

I cringed and tried not to imagine that. "Ouch," I said reverently.

He nodded seriously. "That would be an understatement. I broke my spine and several dozen other bones upon impact, but, miraculously, I did not die. I remember praying that death would come swiftly as I slowly bled to death on the rocks, but I was not that fortunate.

"Little did I know that there was French vampire hunting on the battlefield nearby. The scent of my blood drew him over to me."

"Did you see him?" I whispered, horror-struck.

"No," he replied. But I was vaguely aware of another presence. He said something in French, and then a sharp object pierced my neck. Suddenly, as Emily said, a bomb exploded nearby, and the presence vanished.

"A fire infinitely more painful than the broken bones began to burn my body." He shuddered. "That was more than seventy years ago, and yet I can still remember that fire perfectly. I was certain that I was in Hell.

"But, after a time, the fire began to dull, and then faded altogether.

"For weeks after, I pillaged the French countryside, by day and by night, feeding on any humans that were unfortunate to cross my path. I took them without discretion: young and old, men and women, civilian and military, Allied and German. I killed dozens, perhaps even hundreds." His expression slowly changed to one of intense remorse. "I slew so many. I tried to keep myself from thinking about what I'd done, what I was _still_ doing. With each new kill, I felt the man I had been slipping away, dying alongside my victims. I feared nothing more than I feared myself. I could not make sense of what had happened to me.

"Then, one day near Caen, I came across a scent that I had never encountered before. It was sweet – far sweeter than human blood, but it held none of the appeal that human blood did. I followed the scent to the western side of the town.

"I came to a stop at the mouth of an alley and watched as a brown-haired man with skin of alabaster and garnet-coloured eyes stalked a terrified young French woman down an alley.

"He crooned to her in French, and then he attacked her with unnatural speed, a speed that no human could have ever possibly moved at."

"It was Rob," I realized.

He nodded. "He recognized me as a newborn instantly.

"'You're the one that's been rampaging about the coast, aren't you?' he asked me. Surprised by the question, I stared at him for a moment. 'Excuse me?' I asked, stupefied.

'Where is your maker? What sort of fool would simply turn you and then let you loose?' he asked himself. He paced for a long time, muttering furiously to himself. I could hardly understand what he was saying. Finally, he stopped and turned to face me. 'You have very nearly exposed us all in the past three weeks. The Volturi are scouring the country looking for you. You do realize that, don't you?'

"I looked at him as though her were speaking a different language. In some ways, I suppose he was. I had never heard of the Volturi, much less their rules. At that point, I still didn't even know what _I_ was.

"'My name is Robin Stanton,' he said. 'And I am like you are. You're lucky that I found you before they did.'" He looked at his brother again. "He told me what I was and what the Volturi were, as well as their rules. He told me how he had been turned, and what his life as a newborn had been like. He taught me to control myself and how to be cautious when I hunted. We became brothers almost instantly. We traveled through Europe for another decade together. Along the way, we came across a young German vampire named Austin Klein. The circumstances of his turning were very similar to my own, and, like me, he had been a soldier at Dieppe. He lived with us for a time, but declined to return with us to North America. It was there, in 1967, that we met Em and Tara." He sighed. "She's always been like this. She's always blamed herself for things that are completely beyond her control. It drives us all mad, but Rob especially."

I took a moment to process all that he had told me before asking, "Has she ever done anything like this before?"

He shook his head. "No, but the mentality has always been there."

"Sorry to interrupt," Grandpa Carlisle said, walking up to join us. "But I'd like to speak to everyone for a moment."  
Ian nodded. "Of course."

The family congregated in the living room.

"So what's the plan?" Aunt Alice inquired. "I'm seeing some indecision."

Grandpa Carlisle replied. "Rob and I spent the better part of the night discussing what to do next."

"And?" Uncle Emmett said. "Are we going to Italy?"

Grandpa Carlisle glanced at Rob.

"No, we're not. We are going to trust Alice's vision. If they're planning to come here, then we might as well prepare for that."

"But…" Aunt Alice began. She swallowed. "But there's no way to guarantee that they'll stick with their original plan and bring her back…alive."  
I winced and glanced at Rob to measure his reaction.

He lowered his eyes, unbearable agony crossing his face again. "I know," he said quietly and then flashed a quick look at Uncle Jasper.

The hair on my arms rose at the sight of the gaze he cast my uncle. It was nothing short of homicidal.

_The future can change,_ I told myself firmly. _It _will _change._

"We must prepare ourselves to accept the possibility that she could already be dead," Grandpa Carlisle said, pain flashing across his face as well.

"No," Aunt Alice said instantly. "I would have seen that."

"Would you?" Rob said doubtfully. "You can't see half-breeds as it is."

"Well, no, but I can see the impact of their decisions."

"All the time?"

"No," she said unwillingly.

Rob smiled grimly. "So we don't know for sure. I don't want to believe she could…" He inhaled slowly and forced himself to finish, his voice leaded with anguish. "That she could be dead anymore than anyone else, but as Carlisle said, we must accept the possibility. That way, if she is, it…won't take anyone by surprise and we will be…"

I lowered my eyes, a lump of emotion forming in my throat. Tears pricked my eyes.

"We'll be able to…concentrate on protecting ourselves," Rob finished as he fought to keep his voice from breaking. Ian laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Grandpa Carlisle looked at him with intense sympathy and cleared his throat. "For now, we must be proactive. I've asked Rob and Jasper to give us all a refresher course in vampiric combat."

I swallowed and shot a quick glance at Rob. He seemed calm enough – for now. But I had seen how quickly that could change.

The same hesitation appeared on Aunt Alice's face. "Oh," she said quietly. "All right."

Rob smiled thinly. "I'll behave myself, Alice." He glanced around. "I take it you've all fought before, then?"

"No," Mom and I said in unison.

Rob raised an eyebrow. "No?" He glanced reluctantly at Uncle Jasper. "I thought you had taught them?"

"I did," Uncle Jasper said. "But Bella was human at the time and Nessie had not yet been born."

Rob nodded. "Well, I believe they ought to learn now."

"I agree," Uncle Jasper replied evenly. "They should know how to defend themselves."

Jacob shifted uneasily at my side. "I don't know…" he said uncertainly. "I mean, there's no way she's fighting them anyway."

"No, they're right, Jake," I said, looking up at his anxious face. "I should at least know _how_ to fight, whether or not I ever have to end up using that knowledge or not."

"But no one is going to get at you, so I don't see the point," he maintained.

"So would you rather that I not know how to protect myself should someone slip past you?" I asked. I knew it was a low blow.

He flinched and then sighed. "Okay, okay, fine."

"Well then," Uncle Jasper said. "Let's begin."

"Are you sure about this?" Dad murmured to Grandpa Carlisle. "Can he handle it?"

"I trust him," Grandpa Carlisle.

Aunt Alice fidgeted nervously. "I hope you're right."

"I can stop him if he starts to get out of hand," Ian told her quietly.

_Yes_, I thought, _But how much damage will he be able to inflict before you get to him?_

We took our practice into the woods beside Jacob's home. Rob and Uncle Jasper stood at the front of our gathering. "All right," said Uncle Jasper. "We'll go first."

I watched warily as Rob and Uncle Jasper sank into crouches and began to circle each other. I saw Ian tense out of the corner of my eye, preparing to intercede if Rob suddenly lost control.

As they circled, both unzipped their coats and rolled up their sleeves before proceeding to stretch their limbs. I studied their blank expressions. After a moment, I realized that they were poker faces. I could see that the passivity was difficult for Rob by the tautness of his jaw.

"Do not do anything stupid…do not do anything stupid…" Ian chanted to his brother beneath his breath.

I glanced at Aunt Alice to gauge her expression. Her lips were pressed together in a hard line. Her anxious eyes flickered to mine. I took her hand as I felt a surge of sympathy for my petite aunt.

She flashed me a small, strained smile and gave my hand a light squeeze.

"Can you see anything?" I whispered so only she would hear.

She shook her head slightly. "Neither can settle on what to do first."

I turned my gaze back to the two just in time to see Rob hurl himself at Uncle Jasper and tackle him to the ground.

Aunt Alice and I cringed in unison, her grip on my hand tightening.

After a brief struggle, Rob managed to force Uncle Jasper onto his stomach and put him into a headlock.

"Well done," Uncle Jasper congratulated him.

Rob released him and stood. "Surprise is the key. It is imperative that they not see it coming. And as soon as you have them down, you must be prepared to kill. If you hesitate, you give them a chance to react. If we must fight, it will be against fully matured vampires. There are several important things to remember when fighting mature vampires.

"Firstly, in some ways, they will be easier to defeat – their strength will be more equal to your own, but this also means that they will be exponentially less predictable. They will have more tact and strategy in their attacks. In essence, you must expect the unexpected.

"Secondly, remember to use your instincts. They are your greatest ally.

"Thirdly, as with newborns, do not allow them to get their arms around you. It leaves you in an extremely vulnerable position, from which it will be all too easy for your attacker to destroy you."

Uncle Jasper nodded in agreement. "What Rob has demonstrated is a fairly straight-forward attack. Now we'll show you a more complex scenario." He glanced at Rob. "Please don't worry about being polite."

Rob nodded shortly without meeting his eyes.

"He wasn't being polite, he was trying not to kill you," Dad muttered.

Aunt Alice's grasp tightened further.

Rob squared his shoulders and faced Uncle Jasper again. My uncle was the first to move this time. He lunged at Rob, who danced out of the way and then wheeled around to try to grab Uncle Jasper from behind. Anticipating his move, Uncle Jasper whirled back to face him. And then both disappeared into a blur of magnificent strategy. There was no clear attacker, as both would lunge and then slip out of the other's reach.

Appreciative murmurs came from my family as they watched.

Finally, Rob faltered. I could tell he was in trouble the moment Uncle Jasper caught his wrist.

As could he. He gave a low hiss as my uncle twisted his arm behind his back.

"Do not, under any circumstances, allow them to get you by the wrists for exactly this reason," Uncle Jasper said. "Additionally, it will be rather difficult to fight if you're short an arm."

"Or both," Rob added. There was a slight strain to his tone when he spoke.

I glanced worriedly at Dad.

He looked at me at precisely the same moment. "He's fine," he assured me softly. "Rob's got a good handle on himself, but he can't help being tempted. Also, he's not used to…practicing."  
I looked at him confusedly.

"He's not used to _not_ killing when he fights," Ian told me in equally hushed tones.

A shudder worked its way down my spine.

"All right," Uncle Jasper said, ignoring our exchange. "Before you all practice, we'll give you one more demonstration. But this time," he said, cutting off Uncle Emmett's grumble of complaint. "We'll demonstrate with more than two. While we'll be working in pairs, you must be prepared to fight more than one at once." Uncle Jasper's honey-coloured eyes shifted to Dad. "Edward, please join us."

Dad's face was already split in an eager smile when Uncle Jasper called his name. He unzipped his jacket and turned to Mom. "Would you, Bella, love?" he asked, holding it out to her.

She nodded and took it from him.

"Edward is a good example of what you will face in a member of the Guard as he is both an able fighter and wields a formidable gift," Uncle Jasper explained.

"Who am I fighting?" he asked.

"You and Jasper may fight me for the moment," Rob said, slipping once more into a crouch.

Uncle Jasper and Dad began to circle him, with Rob in the centre of the ring that they created. Rob continually shifted his position so that his back was never to either of them. Dad struck first, lunging at Rob from the side. Rob sprang backwards and out of the way as Uncle Jasper slammed him into the ground and then fought to pin his arms, but not before Rob managed to toss him aside. He rolled backwards and then got up, poising himself on the balls of his feet. They dodged and attacked with blinding speed, neither side allowing the other to gain an inch. After a moment, Rob's eyes snapped to us. "Alice," he said simply as he darted out of the way of an attack from my father.

Aunt Alice released my hand, which began to tingle as the blood rushed back to it. I grimaced slightly and flexed my fingers as I watched her join them.

"Alice is another perfect example," Uncle Jasper said as all three began to back Rob towards the trees.

Rob pursed his lips in concentration as they stalked towards him.

Aunt Alice dove at him first. Rob flashed out of the way and then, taking advantage of the gap that she'd left in their circle, danced out of the perimeter that they'd created around him.

I watched as Dad and Uncle Jasper turned to pursue him once more with begrudging admiration. For all that he was hateful of my uncle, Rob was an extremely impressive fighter. Of course, when Emily had told me what he had been, I had imagined that he would have been. There was no way that he would have survived three decades in a newborn army if he wasn't an exceptional fighter. Uncle Jasper had told me stories from his days as the lieutenant of Maria's newborn army. It had been a subject of endless fascination for me as a kid.

Learning from her previous mistake, Aunt Alice held her position as she began to circle Rob once more, Dad and Uncle Jasper making up the other sides of their circle. Rob attempted to escape out of the gaps between them, but each time, they would tighten their formation.

After several attempts, Rob sighed. "Uh-oh," he said.

Everyone chuckled, immediately lightening the intense atmosphere.

Rob took a breath and then flew at the gap between Dad and Uncle Jasper. Both launched themselves at him. Rob managed to escape between them a split second before they collided into each other. Rob then wheeled around and dove at Aunt Alice, who flitted out of the way before pouncing onto him, her arm locked around his throat.

Rob nodded. "Good," he told her.

She loosened her arm and dropped to her feet.

Uncle Jasper and Dad managed to untangle themselves, laughing as they did so. Dad gained his feet first and extended a hand to Uncle Jasper. Uncle Jasper took it and then clapped him on the back.

Rob and Uncle Jasper ran through several more pointers before demonstrating several specific techniques.

When they'd finished, Dad turned to Rob. "Have you fought many mature vampires?" he asked.

Rob glanced briefly at Uncle Jasper. "Only a few."

I shuddered.

Uncle Jasper pretended not to notice. "Also, do not be afraid to call for help should you need it. I'm sure I don't have to tell anyone this, but do try to keep an eye on your mate. That way everyone is covered."  
Agony seared across Rob's face. He lowered his eyes.

Uncle Jasper glanced at him in confusion, and then winced as he realized his mistake.

"And we can all watch out for Rob," Grandpa Carlisle said.

I looked sympathetically at him. I couldn't imagine what it would be like, to know that your mate was going to die and be powerless to stop it.

Rob forced a grim smile. "Thank you, but please do try to focus your main efforts on yourselves and your mates."

"Also, it's important that you watch your mate and only defend them when absolutely necessary," Uncle Jasper said. "I know how difficult that is to ask, but it's essential that you do it. Otherwise, you risk both of your lives."

"That applies to you as well," Aunt Alice muttered.

Uncle Jasper smiled fondly at her. "I know, Alice." He glanced back at the rest of us. "Now let's try this together."

Everyone broke off into pairs: Mom against Grandma Esme, Aunt Alice against Dad, Uncle Jasper against Jacob (who had rushed off to phase and then returned as a wolf), Ian against Uncle Emmett and Grandpa Carlisle against Rose. I faced Tara, who looked so weary I almost felt guilty for forcing her to fight me. Rob opted to watch for the first round, making suggestions and encouragements where necessary.

For being so quiet, Tara was a surprisingly good fighter. She was very agile, as I quickly discovered which forced me to get creative. Our fight became a blindingly-fast game of defensive strategy. And then, without any warning, I found myself pinned against the frozen ground. I blinked in surprise and stared up at Tara, who looked just as shocked as I was.

"Excellently done, T," Rob congratulated his sister as she hopped off of me. He looked at me as I got up. "You also did very well, Nessie. You have superb defensive instincts, especially for being entirely new to combat."

I blushed at his praise. "Thanks."

He nodded his head and glanced at his sister with a slightly concerned expression. "Do you feel up to trying again?"

"Sure," she murmured.

I massaged my shoulder, which I'd tweaked when I fell, and got ready for the second round. I tried to emulate Rob's approach and ran at her. As soon as I touched her skin, a white-hot fire scorched my entire body. I screamed in pain and felt my body fly back several feet.

"Oh!" Tara shrieked. "I am so sorry, Nessie! I put my shield up without thinking! I'm so sorry! Are you all right? I'm so sorry!"

I lay still for a moment, too stunned to react. I was instantly swarmed by my entire family.

"Nessie?" asked Mom worriedly, kneeling beside me.

When the pain cleared from my head enough to allow coherent thought, I blinked and sat up slowly. "Yeah, I'm good." I looked at Tara in wonder. "_Wow_," I said in genuine awe.

"I'm so sorry," she said for the fourth time in as many seconds. "I didn't even think."

"It's okay," I said as Mom helped me to my feet. I could feel that she was still watching me with concern. "Shall we try again?"

Tara ogled at me. "You want to try _again_?"

"Why not?" I asked, confused.

"Because I just shocked you!"

"Perhaps Tara's right," Rob said anxiously. "That's enough for one day."

"No, no, I want to learn," I insisted. "I'm fine, really."

"No way," Jacob said. "You're done."

I gave him a look. "So let me get this straight, if I get attacked, you _don't_ want me to be able to know how to defend myself?"

His jaw went taut. "No one is going to attack you."

"Not even _you_ can watch me all the time," I pointed out. "What if someone slips past you?"

"Then I would stop them," Dad said.

I gave him a withering look. "And what if you've already got your hands full?"

Mom's eyes lit suddenly. "I've just had a thought."

Everyone turned to look at her.

"What is it?" asked Dad.

"What if Tara and I combined our shields?" she asked.

Silence ruled for a moment.

"Yes," Tara said finally, her voice ripe with excitement. "Yes, that's ingenious. My shield is limited by distance, but if combined with yours, I doubt there's anything that could get past us."  
"Could that really work?" asked Dad, the same excitement now shining in his eyes.

Mom and Tara exchanged glances. "We think so," they said in unison.

"That would be like a super-super-shield. Let's try it, then." Uncle Emmett grinned. "But leave me out. I want to try anyway."

"That's really not a good idea," Grandpa Carlisle said warningly.

"I know," he grinned. "Let's do this."

After a moment of intense concentration, Tara nodded her head, her eyes squeezed shut. "Okay," she said, her voice strained. "We're ready."

"Please don't," Aunt Rose begged Uncle Emmett as he made his way towards them.

He chuckled and braced himself as he reached out to touch Mom. "Come on, Rose, what's the worse that could hap –" With a scream, he was thrown back into the trees with such force that he knocked two of them over.

Jaws dropped simultaneously.

"Emmett!" Aunt Rose exclaimed as she sprinted in the direction in which Uncle Emmett had been thrown, disappearing into the trees. She reappeared several seconds later, supporting my brawny uncle's weight as he limped towards us.

I stared in shock. I had never seen Uncle Emmett incapacitated in any form.

"Okay," he said, his voice thick with pain. "I'm convinced."

"Are you all right?" asked Grandma Esme worriedly.

He rotated his shoulders. "That hurt like hell, but I'm good."  
"That was foolish," Aunt Rose said.

He smiled fondly at her. "You worry too much, you know."

"See? It's not just me and Nessie," I heard Mom whisper to Dad. He chuckled in reply.

I looked around. "So what do we do now?"

Both Uncle Jasper and Dad were grinning openly. Rob bore a smaller version of their smiles. "This has tipped things decidedly in our favour," Uncle Jasper said. "This will allow us to fight without being fought."

"If necessary," Grandpa Carlisle reminded him.

"Yes, if necessary."

"But this is going to take all the fun out of it," Uncle Emmett said darkly.

"True," Dad agreed, slightly dejected.

I saw Mom roll her eyes. I was tempted to do the same. Dad and my uncles had always been ridiculously fond of fighting.

"Do you know when they'll arrive, Alice?" asked Grandpa Carlisle.

She closed her eyes and concentrated.

"Alice?" Grandpa Carlisle said after a moment.

"Two, maybe three days. They haven't decided for certain yet," she replied finally.

I bit my lip as horror flooded me. Our time was up. Super-super shield or not, I couldn't see it stopping Aro if he truly wanted us gone. I couldn't see _anything_ stopping Aro if he truly wanted something the way he truly wanted Aunt Alice, Dad and Tara.

We had less than a week to live.

A feeling of solemnity descended upon the family. Everyone held their mates closer.

Everyone except for Rob.

"Excuse me," he said, his voice pained. He hurried out of the room.

I didn't look at him. I was afraid to see his expression.

"We're going to be all right," Jacob said quietly.

I nodded and tried desperately to believe him.

Two days later, I found myself approaching the same place from which we'd first faced the possibility of our destruction six years earlier. I could scarcely believe that the past days had disappeared so quickly. They had been spent practicing and strategizing ceaselessly, but in the end they had flashed by at a rate that was nothing short of sickening.

My heart hammered frantically in my chest as we walked slowly – gravely, almost – to the baseball clearing. Those six years, which had always seemed like an eternity to me, now felt as short as a second.

I frowned slightly as I caught sight of a dark shape standing against the pale backdrop of the snow.

My jaw fell open.

Emily's entire body was rigid as we approached. Her hands were clenched into fists at her side. Even from where I was, I could see she was trembling. Her face was paler than I remembered it being. Her magnificent blue eyes were wide with a frenzied look, and beneath them were dark circles. I couldn't have been sure, but I was fairly certain that I could see tears streaming down her face. I was struck by how unwell she looked.

Everyone else seemed to notice at about the same time I did. Rob froze to a complete stand-still, his expression one of shocked disbelief. Everyone gasped in synchronization.

"She's alive," Grandpa Carlisle said with relief.

When I looked at her again, her eyes were locked on Rob. And then, very clearly, she mouthed the word, "Run."

I frowned, turning to Jacob. "Did she just tell us to run?"

Jacob didn't look at me. His gaze was fixed on the other side of the field. His arm snaked around my waist and pulled me so that his body half-sheltered mine. I doubted that he even realized he was doing it.

A cold terror steeped through my veins and rooted me to the spot as I followed his line of sight.

A mass of ash-cloaked immortals emerged from the tree line opposite us at exactly the same time. Their perfectly unified movement was horrendously familiar. It looked like a scene taken straight out of my nightmares.

Emily's eyes closed as they parted around her. Two particularly burly vampires took up positions on either side of her. She suddenly looked very frail and vulnerable beneath the shadows of the two monstrous vampires towering over her.

"Jake," I whispered in sheer terror.

His jaw went taut while his arm tightened around me. I could see the calculation in his eyes as he tried to decide whether to stay or take me and make a run for it.

Suddenly, a horrifically memorable face appeared in the throng of darkly-cloaked Volturi. Aro stepped forth with a brilliant smile that lit his terrifyingly odd eyes. "My dear friends!" he said. His voice was exactly the way I remembered it from my darkest dreams. "We meet again!"


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

I trembled uncontrollably as I watched Aro move to stand in front of the crowd of smooth-faced Guard members, Marcus and Caius flanking him. I wanted to look away but I found myself unable to.

"Aro," Grandpa Carlisle said, forcing a tight smile. "Indeed we are yet again honoured by your presence."

Aro's smile widened. "The honour is ours, dear Carlisle, to be sure, but I lament that it is on such a dark occasion that we are once more reunited." His eyes flicked to the Winters.

I followed his gaze. Tara was shaking as much as I was. Her gaze continually darted between Aro and her sister. Ian had taken a position between Rob and Tara. She stood behind him, his arm half-extended behind his body in a sheltering gesture. He also kept one restraining hand on his brother's shoulder. Rob's face was set in a look of panicked terror, his eyes glued to Emily.

I glanced quickly at Uncle Jasper. He was standing a good distance away, between Dad and Aunt Alice. Uncle Emmett stood just behind them. I doubted that any of their placements had been coincidental.

I could tell that mine wasn't, either. Jacob and I stood to the back of the group, which I noticed had taken on almost a semi-circular shape, with Jake and I at the heart.

"I was so grieved to learn of what transpired in Vancouver when dear Dario and Fabian returned," Aro continued. "What explanation do you give for yourselves?" he inquired of the Winters.

_Please be calm, _I begged Rob mentally.

Rob did not react immediately. His eyes remained on his mate. Only when Ian nudged him did he realize that he was being addressed. Ian repeated the question to him in a whisper. He looked at Aro. He took a moment to arrange his features into a composed expression. "I might ask the same of you," he said in a carefully light tone.

Surprise flashed across Aro's face. "You ask for an explanation? For what, Rob?"

"I would be very interested to know the reason for which your Guard was in my home," Rob said, his voice still miraculously serene.

"Well, it's fairly simple, really," Caius sneered at him. "They are the product of an exceptionally twisted individual. How are we to know that they," he said, gesturing to Emily, and then to Tara. "Will not be the same as their predecessor?"

"Because while they may be _his_ children, they themselves are not children," Dad interjected. "Your greatest fear in regard to my daughter was that she would be unable to possess any sort of control over her thirst as she matured."

I flushed slightly at his mention of me.

Dad continued. "Emily was born well over a century ago, and her sister, while being much younger, is still no newborn to half-vampirism. From what I have been able to see from Emily's thoughts and those of their mates, they truly, fully and whole-heartedly despise William Taylor and all of his ideals. They have a reverence for human life and they exercise incredible control over their vampiric impulses. In essence, your fears are utterly ungrounded in regard to these two."

I smiled in spite of the situation. Leave it to Dad to know exactly what to say.

"Yes, yes," Aro said. "But my question remains: how shall she be brought to justice? Or the rest of you, Cullens?"

"What precisely is our crime?" inquired Grandpa Carlisle curiously, although he already knew.

"Harbouring fugitives," Caius replied. "You ought to have turned them over to us straight away, Carlisle. But instead, you and your family kept them. You allowed them to live with you. You even arranged protection for them from us. You concealed them rather than report them to us. It pains us to be forced to punish you, Carlisle, it truly does, but your actions and those of your coven perplex me. You have always lived in abidance with the laws, and even helped us to impose them. I recall the tale of how you and your family so bravely destroyed the newborn army created by the vampire Victoria. But why now would you go against all that we stand for and all that we strive to maintain? If we do not enforce these laws, they become ignored and sooner rather than later, humans would learn of our existence."

"I do not think there is anyone present that does not realize why the rules must be enforced," Rob replied, his voice still light. "But the Cullens adopted us into their family not with the intention of circumventing the law, but with providing us with security. Surely you must be able to understand our confusion and fear when two of the Guard appeared in our home? Particularly to Emily and Tara? Must they be punished for the sins of their creator? As Edward has said, they have taken on none of his beliefs and they lead a life not merely of control, but of abstinence?"

I nodded in agreement and looked back at Aro. He looked thoughtful once more, no doubt planning how to talk his way around Rob's argument.

"Time does not change their actions," Caius replied.

"No one knows that better than they," Rob said. "And I know that if they could change what transpired, they would. But they are powerless to change time as the rest of us."

"I agree, of course, but it does not change the facts," he replied. "Emily Taylor and her sister –"

"No," Emily said immediately. "Tara had nothing to do with it. She was very young when we left, less than a decade old. She'd barely been alive long enough to learn his lies, much less help him as I did. I raised her as best I could. Whether or not it was good enough, I will leave to your judgement, but I can assure you that she has never done anything remotely resembling what I helped my father do," she said, although she stared at the ground as she spoke.

Aro nodded solemnly. "You are modest, Emily. I am sure that you've done a wonderful job of raising your sister. But that does not assuage our concerns, I'm afraid."

"Which are what?" asked Dad.

"Justice," Aro said.

I rolled my eyes. How long was he going to keep up this "justice" façade? We all knew exactly what he wanted from us, and it had nothing to do with _justice._ This business of pretending to be saints was wearing on me. I almost sympathized with the Romanian vampires that had come to join us during our last face-off. I would have rather had Vladimir and Stefan ruling us, personally.

"I wouldn't be to sure about that," Dad murmured to me.

"So the first of our crimes is harbouring fugitives," Grandpa Carlisle said. "Might I inquire as to the others?"

Aro's gaze flickered to Felix and Demetri for a moment. "Perhaps we ought to begin with Emily."

"No," I gasped. My eyes flashed to Emily. She seemed resigned to her fate. I looked then at her mate.

I watched Rob's calm pretence disappear instantly. Panic and fear shot across his face. "What?" he croaked.

"Forgive me for not clarifying," Aro said. "I intend only to try her first."

I exhaled.

He turned to Emily, who was suddenly tense again. "Well, Emily Winter, you already know the crimes of which you stand accused. Now then, in the matter of endangering our anonymity, how do you plead?"

"Guilty," she said without as much as a breath of hesitation.

Rob hissed. The sound was not one of rage, but of pain.

"In the matter of being in contempt of an official summons, how do you plead?"

"Guilty."

"In the matter of attacking two members of my Guard, how do you plead?"

"Guilty."

Fear clenched my stomach. I pressed my face against Jacob's back, my breaths coming raggedly. I would not, I _could not_ watch them destroy her. She had become one of my closest friends. I'd come to love Emily as I loved my aunts, and I knew that if I watched, it would be trapped in my consciousness for eternity.

"Well," said Aro. His voice held a tone of sorrow that I didn't believe in the slightest. "If she has admitted to all charges of which she stands accused of, then all that remains is her punishment…"

"_No_!" Rob hissed furiously.

I looked up quickly.

Rob threw himself forward as Demetri seized Emily's arm and began to tow her aside. Felix moved in front of them and automatically slipped into a crouch, his cold, red eyes glinting with anticipation.

Dad and Uncle Jasper moved to hold Rob back instantly. He snarled again in sheer fury as he turned on Uncle Jasper.

Horror immobilized me. Aunt Alice's vision would be fulfilled. I saw Rob's lips part and curl back over his barred teeth. I watched his enraged topaz eyes calculate as he decided how best to kill him. I watched his body tense like a coiled spring. I watched as his teeth approached Uncle Jasper's throat.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to pull them apart. I wanted to beg Aro to show mercy on us. I wanted to beg Rob to show mercy on Uncle Jasper.

But suddenly, Rob made a snap decision that not even Aunt Alice could have predicted.

Rob froze completely. He jerked away from Uncle Jasper and held his pose until the anger had drained from his face, his entire body still rigid.

I stared numbly at Rob, unable to trust my half-human, and therefore fallible, eyes enough to believe what I'd just witnessed.

"Stop." Uncle Jasper kept his distance this time, his voice filled with forceful gentility. "It won't help."

Rob gave a short nod, his teeth grinding together as he cast Demetri and Felix a terrifying black glare.

My brain couldn't make sense of what had happened. How was he still _alive_? I had been sure that Aunt Alice's vision had been on the brink of being realized. I had seen the enraged abhorrence on Rob's face as he'd prepared to take my uncle's life away. I had watched him move his teeth to his throat.

But I had also seen him stop.

Aro held up a hand. "Demetri, wait a moment, if you would."

Demetri gave an irritated groan.

Aro's frown was pensive as he observed the exchange. "How remarkably fascinating," he murmured, interrupting my thoughts.

Rob snarled in reply. Apparently he hadn't managed to rid himself of _all_ of his hostility.

Aro's papery face rearranged itself into disapproval. "There is no need to be rude, Mr. Stanton."

Rob's eyes narrowed in obvious disagreement.

Grandpa Carlisle placed a hand on his shoulder. "Enough, Rob, please," he said calmly. I could see the same incredulity on his face that I felt. "Nothing has been decided."

"She threatened our existence," Caius objected. "The rules are absolute. We do not make exceptions for friends, Carlisle, not even for you."

"Of course," Grandpa Carlisle replied evenly. "I would never seek such preferential treatment." He looked at Emily. "But it was her father that threatened us, not Emily. I beg of you, please return her to us."

I saw Emily and Tara flinch in unison at the mention of their father. Even after half a century, the wound with which he'd left them was still tender.

"We might be able to reach an arrangement if you were to give your father up," Aro said, looking at Emily.

All eyes turned to her. She hesitated for a moment and glanced at Tara. Finally, she shook her head.

"She doesn't know where he is," Tara whispered desperately.

Aro's eyes flickered to her. I wondered how he heard her from such a distance. "What's this?" he asked lightly.

"Emily, _tell_ him that you don't know!" Rob commanded frantically. He looked back at Aro. "You can see for yourself; she has no idea."

Emily glared at him furiously.

Aro looked at her once more. "Is that so, Emily?"

She looked from Aro to Rob and back, her face contorting with indecision.

"Very well, then would you allow me to see?" he asked, still perfectly tranquil.

She considered briefly, and then extended her hand towards him. Renata tensed behind him.

"Don't worry, my love," he said gently to her, although how he'd seen her reaction, I had no idea. "Miss Winter, or Mrs. Stanton, I should say," he said, his eyes flickering to Rob. "Does not have an offensive gift."

The same confusion that I felt flashed across Emily's face briefly. How on earth would he know about her gift? He clearly hadn't read her mind before.

Emily pressed her index finger to Aro's delicate-looking palm. His eyes became distant as he took in the information. And then, suddenly, Aro smiled brilliantly. "How excellent!" he exclaimed. "Ha, ha, ha. What a _remarkable_ gift! I have never seen anything like it!"

Emily's face remained blank, although I could see the effort that it took.

"Well, well, well. What a _remarkably_ talented family you have Carlisle. Ha, ha."

Grandpa Carlisle smiled genuinely. "Indeed I do."

"Ah, yes, William," Aro said wistfully, his eyes distant as he combed through Emily's thoughts. "It's a pity that you did not come to us sooner," he said in her direction. "I'm afraid we simply allowed him to slip past us. Of course, we had no idea what he looked like. He's been exceptionally careful in covering his tracks over the past century."

Everyone on our side was openly gaping now, along with Emily.

"You've seen him?" Rob asked.

"Why, yes," Aro replied. "It was he that gave us the information regarding Emily and Tara's gifts, as well as your location. Regrettably, we allowed him to leave before I had the chance to read his mind. I would have loved to have…" he trailed off.

I stared at Aro in disbelief. So after all he had done to his daughters, he then had the nerve to turn them over to the Volturi? How much of an idiot was this guy?

I glanced at Emily and Tara. Tara looked ready to cry. Emily's face was livid, as were Rob and Ian's.

"I really hate him," Uncle Emmett muttered.

Rob and Ian growled quietly in agreement.

"It's a pity we let him go," Dad said through clenched teeth.

How evil and twisted could one person be? Rob's words from months ago ran through my mind. _He thinks he owns them. He thinks that since he created them, he owns them and that they ought to be with him._

Caius rolled his eyes impatiently.

"Be still, brother, be still," he urged. "I have just learned some truly fascinating information."

Mild disgust appeared on Emily's face.

"And disturbing, of course," he amended. "But it is _such_ a fascinating story."

Caius flexed his jaw, but held his tongue.

"Well, it is just as Mr. Stanton said. She does not know the location of her father or his family."

Rob relaxed a little more.

"However, I am surprised that you would aid and abet your father in such a way," Aro told her. "Your sisters have not learned the same control that your father taught you, is that accurate?"

"Tara has."

"Yes, of course," he nodded, deep in thought.

Emily bowed her head. "I do not condone his actions, or my own. But if I am to be punished then let it only be me."

"A very generous offer, considering the crimes that the others in your family stand guilty of," Caius spat.

Aro sighed quietly. "Peace, brother. I beseech you."

"What crimes?" asked Grandpa Carlisle with a strained voice.

"Well, Mr. Stanton appears to be the product of an illegal army, and he _was_ created by Jasper," Aro said sadly.

Rob and Uncle Jasper exchanged furtive glances.

"Yes," Grandpa Carlisle agreed, his tone becoming increasingly more strained. "But that transpired almost a century and a half ago."

"Nonetheless," Aro continued. "Mr. Stanton in particular does not seem to have outgrown his malice."

Rob snapped his chin up, his hands clenching at his sides. At first, I accredited it to Aro's words. Then I noticed Demetri's steadying hand on Emily's shoulder. She was trembling slightly, her eyes wide as they flitted frenetically from Rob to Uncle Jasper to Aro.

"And Ian very nearly exposed us in France," Aro said sombrely.

I shuddered as I remembered Ian's retelling of his days as a newborn.

"That was seventy years ago! If you've no _relevant_ arguments, then I would appreciate it if you would return my wife and _leave_," Rob growled.

Grandpa Carlisle glanced nervously at him and then back at Aro. "I'm afraid I must agree with Rob. These arguments have never been presented prior to this moment, and these crimes, which I agree were once crimes, are so long past that they are, as Rob has said, no longer relevant. My son, Jasper, would certainly never create another newborn army, and if I may, Rob's malice would be in regard to Demetri's grip on his mate."

Aro glanced at Demetri, but did not order him to release her. "I'm afraid Demetri is a necessary precaution. Until we have decided, we cannot allow her to return to you, and we wouldn't want her running off."

"I can assure you that that isn't a concern," Dad said. "She has no intention of running away."

Tara nodded fervently.

"Nonetheless," Aro said.

"We must decide," Caius said to Aro.

Aro glanced at him and nodded. "Indeed so. Do forgive us," he said. Marcus, Aro and Caius glided to the centre of the group, their Guard closing back in around them.

I knew that they wouldn't need to deliberate to decide what to do. They'd come here knowing what their decision would be, as had we.

I began to shake harder. I glanced around at the faces of my family. They all seemed to realize what would come next as I had. My eyes stopped on my parents. They held each other closely, their bodies placed squarely between Jacob, me and the Volturi.

I had to do something. I couldn't let them die.

My breaths came faster. I didn't want to die, but my instinct to preserve the lives of my family was far stronger. The important thing was not to think about what I was doing.

I cleared my throat slightly and looked up at Jacob. I pressed my lips to his back. "Can you give me a second, Jake? I have to talk to Tara."

He turned around to face me, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Why?"

I swallowed hard. "I need to do something. Be back in a second, kay?" I said.

He looked at me for a second and then let me go.

I moved over to Tara quickly. She was trembling as I was, her eyes still fixed on Emily. "Tara, I need you to shield me for a second."

She tore her eyes away from Emily to look at me. "You're already shielded. Your mother and I have everyone protected."

"I mean just me."

"I can't make two shields at once."

I bit my lip. "Please?"

She sighed. "All right."

"Tara?" Mom called confusedly, in response to what I supposed was Tara dropping her shield.

"Just a moment, Bella," she said, her voice equally confused. "All right, you're covered," she told me. "Now what is this about?"

"I just want to think for a minute without having Dad in my head," I said under my breath, and then glanced at him to make sure he hadn't heard.

I had to think quickly. What could I do that would make a difference?

A thought occurred to me suddenly. If Emily could sacrifice herself, why couldn't I? They had been able to resist the offer of one pound of flesh. But what about two? Of everyone in my family, I was the only innocent. The Volturi would see Emily's sacrifice as the fulfillment of justice. But I had never committed a crime in my short life. Surely that would tip the scale in their minds.

_What are you doing?_ one part of my mind demanded of me. _Think about Mom and Dad! Jacob! It'd destroy them! They'd kill them to avenge you, and probably end up dying in the process. This is _not _the answer._

Pain like I hadn't felt since those long and horrible days without Jacob screamed through me. The very idea of never being able to see him again, to never kiss him again, was almost enough to make me forget the idea altogether.

_But I can't think of anything else,_ another part argued back. _And I have to do something. I can't let them kill my family, and especially not my Jacob. I understand Emily's motives now. I can't just stand aside. I won't. I've been the baby, the helpless child, for my entire life. But now, at last, I have the chance to change things, to make a difference. How can I not die for them? They've given me everything that I have, made me everything that I am. Mom gave her human life to give me mine. This is the least I can do to repay her, to repay all of them. Maybe I can save them. I have to try, don't I?_

_No!_

_Yes!_

I swallowed. This was no time to be rational. "Okay, thanks, Tara," I said quickly so she wouldn't hear the tremble in my voice. I took a breath and then started across the field quickly. I would only have a few seconds before someone would try to stop me.

"Renesmee?" I heard Dad say.

I tried to block his voice out.

"What're you doing?" It was Mom's voice.

"Ness, where're you going?" Jacob now. His voice was like a knife in my heart.

With each new step, my vision grew more blurred from the tears that filled my eyes. _I love you all._

It only took Dad a second to put it together.

"NO!" he shouted.

I started running. I saw Aro, Marcus and Caius turn back, their faces set in identical expressions of confusion. They moved forward to meet me.

"Miss Cullen?" Aro said.

"Please, don't kill my family. Take me instead. I'm the only innocent. I have nothing to atone for. So please, let me take their places."

"_WHAT?_" Jacob screeched.

I closed my eyes for a moment, my heart twisting painfully in response, and then searched Aro's perplexed face. "Please."

"GET BACK HERE _NOW_, RENESMEE!"

I wanted to touch his devastatingly handsome face, to tell him how much I loved him, to assure him that everything would be all right. But I knew that I would have to do without. I had made my choice.

"Are you certain of what you are asking, young one?" asked Caius coolly. "If this is your decision, then you cannot take it back."

"I know," I said quickly. "I'm certain." _Please, please, forgive me, _I begged my family silently. _Goodbye._

"Aro," Grandpa Carlisle's voice said pleadingly.

I didn't look back at them. I knew I would loose my determination if I looked at their faces. Instead, I kept my eyes on Aro. He looked from me to my family and back again.

"NESSIE!" It was Mom's voice this time. "Whatever you're doing, _stop it!_"

"Well," said Aro, glancing over my head and then back at me. "We shall take this into consideration."

"No!" Emily exclaimed, taking a step towards them. "Please, I –"

Denetri yanked her back suddenly.

Rob growled furiously. Felix growled back.

I turned around quickly. Rob had slipped into a crouch. His expression was spine-tingling. My parents joined in, and then Jacob, Ian, Tara, Aunt Rose, Aunt Alice, Uncle Jasper and Uncle Emmett. The rest of the Guard snarled back.

The sound was deafening. I trembled in fear. I wanted to cover my ears, but I was too frozen.

My efforts had been in vain. This was going to turn into a battle, a battle that I had caused. I was going to get them all killed anyway.

One by one, each of my family members slipped into crouches.

My heart froze. "NO!" I screamed, my voice drowned out by the din.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

My mind worked furiously as the pandemonium continued. There had to be something else that I could so. I had to stop this. I couldn't lose them, especially not this way.

Two of the Guard, a blonde-haired male and a tall brunette female, ran hissing at my family, with two others close behind.

I screamed again. My heart hammered frantically in my chest. I looked at Mom and Tara, hoping desperately that they were ready. Both had closed their eyes, their jaws locked.

As the Guard reached them, both went flying back several dozen metres simultaneously.

Each of the Volturi froze.

I almost sobbed in relief.

"_What_?" Caius asked in stunned disbelief.

"How did she do that?" Emily murmured in awe. "Her shield is strong, but not _that _strong."

"It's her and my mom," I whispered, only partially aware of what I was saying. The terror that had locked each of my joints in place and frozen my blood made my brain feel numb. I couldn't remember being this terrified ever before, not even during the first time we'd been in this situation.

"Alana, Lyle, stop," said Caius to the two that had followed the blonde mail and brunette female towards my family, and were now eyeing them with a murderous expression.  
Both ducked their heads and hurried back to their side.

My knees, locked though they were, felt ready to buckle beneath me. For the first time in my life, I felt myself whispering prayers heavenward beneath my breath. We would need whatever help we could get. I wondered randomly if God accepted prayers from vampires, much less half-vampires. Or were we, as dad thought, products of evil? And if that was the case, what did that make me? Half-evil?

_That's what you're thinking about _now? I hissed at myself mentally. _We're all probably going to die and you're stopping to ponder the philosophical aspects of immortality? What is wrong with you?_

"Well, well, well," Aro said with a strangely delighted smile. "Your family is even more talented than I had thought, Carlisle. What a _wonderful _trick! Ha ha!"

"I apologize for being forced to draw upon it," Grandpa Carlisle said sincerely, his eyes locked on me though he spoke to Aro.

I lowered my eyes guiltily.

"Well, you've given us even more to consider," Aro said with a faint smile. "I would be grateful if you would permit us a moment to discuss the situation."

I searched each of Aro, Marcus and Caius's faces carefully. Aro and Caius seemed pensive. Marcus looked bored, as always. I looked for any hint of compassion or perhaps recalculation, something, _anything_ to make the situation seem less desperate.

My breath hitched as I realized that even my last-ditch effort had been just as pointless as Emily's. Nothing was going to deter them now that they had what they so earnestly desired within their reach, like a delicious treat being dangled in front of them. They were determined to add my father, my aunt and my friend to their equation, regardless of the cost to our family, to their own friend, Grandpa Carlisle. I wondered if they would bother to offer him amnesty as well.

I felt as though the strength were being leached from my bones. I had spent so long preparing for this day, for this moment: my death. But now that I had arrived at it, my life was not flashing before my eyes as I had expected it to. Instead, my thoughts could only rest on one subject – _Jacob_.

I forced myself to meet his handsome dark eyes. They were filled with a complex array of emotions: rage, fear, intense pain, anxiety (although that would have been an extremely mild description of it) and many others I found myself unable to understand. The expression on his unfathomably handsome face looked the way I imaged it would if a killer holding were holding a gun to his forehead, as though it was _his_ life that they were threatening.

I closed my eyes and tried to keep the pain that fought for prominence amongst my senses at bay. _Look what you've done to him,_ my mind snarled at me. _After all you did to hurt him, you do this? What sort of monster are you? How can you put him through this? Or Mom and Dad and everyone else, for that matter? _This_ is how you're thanking them for a lifetime of unswerving love and devotion? You're throwing everything they gave you away. Does it mean nothing to you?_

Suddenly, a very out-of-place sound re-opened my eyes.

Across the field, someone's phone rang.

I giggled involuntarily. Of all of the things that I had expected to hear, a phone was certainly not among them. It seemed utterly ridiculous at a moment like this. Everyone on my family's side of the field blinked in confusion and looked at one another, and then all turned to Tara as she withdrew her slim black phone from her pocket. She opened it with a frown and turned away to answer.

Emily exhaled in relief.

I glanced at her, more than moderately surprised by her reaction. What could be so good about a phone call right now, of all times? I made my way over to her. I touched her arm and thought, _What do you know that the rest of us don't?_

She looked at me briefly and then refocused her gaze on Tara. "You'll see," she whispered back.

My brow furrowed in confusion and watched Tara's back for several moments as she spoke into the phone. Emily would nod from time to time, her expression becoming increasingly more hopeful.

When Tara finally turned around, she looked at her sister firstly and then turned to whisper something to Rob and Ian, whose expressions looked about the same way I imagined mine would have been. They spoke for a moment, and then looked at Emily as well.

I fidgeted with uncontainable curiosity. I touched Emily's arm again. _Okay, seriously, what's going on?_

She smiled in reply. "We're going to be just fine."

_How?_

"You'll see."

How, _Winter?_

She gave a light chuckle. "Always so curious."  
I sighed. Rob, Ian and Tara now motioned to the rest of the family. They gathered around them in a loose circle, their voices too low for me to hear. I wondered if the full vampires could hear them. I looked at the Guard. Judging by their expression, they seemed as puzzled as I was.

Just as I became certain that I would explode if someone didn't tell me what was happening, the circle dissipated and Grandpa Carlisle and Rob stepped forward, flanked by Uncle Emmett and Ian.

"Master," a reedy voice said softly.

I shuddered at the sound of Jane's voice and tried to locate her in the sea of faces. She was fairly easy to spot as she was easily the shortest of them all. Her blood-red eyes were fixed on Aro as he drifted towards the front of the Guard, his face alight with curiosity.

"A development, my dear friends?" he inquired of the group.

"Indeed," Grandpa Carlisle said, glancing briefly at Emily. "It would seem that Emily has made contact with one of her and Tara's half-sisters. Another half-breed named Rebecca and her mate Ajay, are on their way. They have some information pertaining to William that I believe you will find most interesting."

I gasped quietly and rounded on Emily. She was almost beaming.

_Of course, _I thought to myself. It only made sense that she would have come up with a back-up plan. Emily was smart. She would have known as we all had that the chances of the Volturi accepting her offer weren't in her favour. There was no way that she would have placed her full assurance in Aro's sense of justice. She knew how much they wanted to add Dad, Aunt Alice and her sister to their equation.

I could have kicked myself for not realizing it sooner. I had spent the whole time lamenting our doom, when in fact she'd had this planned all along. I looked at her. So why had she looked so terrified before? Had it all been an act?  
Caius blinked and looked at Aro. "What?"

"I'm afraid Rebecca didn't disclose that information when she last spoke to Emily," Aro said to Caius.

Caius looked at them. "What information is this, precisely?"

"I believe it would be best if we allowed them to explain," Grandpa Carlisle said.

Aro nodded. "Of course."

I whirled around to look at Emily again, who was practically glowing with confidence.

"Is this going to be safe for them?"

"For who?"

"Whoever you called."

"Rebecca and Ajay," she replied. "Rebecca is my half-sister, and Ajay is her vampire-mate. And yes, they'll be perfectly safe. The Volturi have no reason to take an interest in either of them. They have never participated in my father's…_work_, nor have they any gifts. I wouldn't have called them if had thought they would have been in danger," she said, as though I'd missed something obvious.

"You realize they're all furious at you, don't you?" I said, casting our family a quick glance.

She winced slightly. "Yes, I am aware. At both of us, I believe."

I didn't look. I was afraid to. "Do you know when they'll get here?"

She shook her head. "No. But I doubt that they're far."

I took a deep breath. Whatever it was, I would have to trust that it would be enough to help us.

"This is ridiculous," Caius said. "We have waited long enough. The decision has been made. They knew the law, and they broke it. All that is left is its enforcement."

My calm vanished instantly.

Caius turned in our direction. "We ought to start with them."  
"At least let Nessie go," Emily said desperately. "She is entirely innocent, as she said. She has committed no crime."

"She is guilty by association," Marcus said, speaking for the first time.

I looked at him for a moment. He still looked utterly bored with the entire situation.

_Guilty by association._ I could very clearly recall the story that my grandfather had told me long ago about our cousins, the Denali clan. Caius had wished to prosecute them as well as their mother after she had created an immortal child. His reasoning had been that they were "guilty by association". But, luckily for them, Aro had been in a merciful mood and had allowed them to go.

Would history repeat itself, or would we find ourselves not as fortunate as the Denali coven had been? Would the shadow of the Volturi _ever_ stop hanging over our lives?

"Indeed," Caius agreed, drawing my thoughts back to the present.

"But she's a child!" Emily exclaimed. "How can she be held responsible for the actions of those around her? She –"

"Quiet," Jane snapped at her. She strode towards us, her ashy cloak billowing behind her. "Or I'll quiet you."

I shuddered.

I realized half a second too late that Emily didn't know about Jane's gift.

She snorted disdainfully and looked coolly at her. The two glared at each other for a moment before Emily's eyes flicked back to the leaders of the Volturi. She opened her mouth to speak, and then dropped to the ground suddenly with a piercing scream.

I gasped in horror and looked at Jane, who was smiling at Emily as she writhed on the ground, screaming shrilly. "Leave her alone!" I shouted impetuously.

Jane's gaze did not leave my friend as she watched her convulse at her feet.

Rob roared in fury.

When I looked up, Rob was already halfway across the field. Fear drained the blood from my face. Was this going to be the same tactic that they had used with Irina when we had confronted them before? Was Aro allowing this to provoke some sort of reaction from our family?

Suddenly, Ian crash-tackled him to the snow, pinning his brother's arms beneath him. "Stop!" he commanded. "Stop it. You aren't helping."

"Jane, my dear," Aro said lightly.

It felt like an eternity before Jane's gaze left Emily. Immediately, her body relaxed.

I knelt beside her. "Ar-Are you o-okay?" I asked, noticing a tremor in my voice. I was surprised to feel a tear hit the back of my hand. I hadn't noticed the torrent of tears streaming down my face, either. My body was shaking violently. All of these sudden emotional changes were fraying me around the edges. I could only imagine what they were doing to Uncle Jasper.

She rolled onto her back slowly. Her eyes were squeezed shut as she gasped for breath. After a moment, she nodded her head.

"Can you get up?" I asked, although it came out as a half-sob.

She opened her eyes and then tried to push herself up. I jumped up and pulled her to her feet. I supported her weight for a moment until she whispered, "Thank you, Nessie. I'm all right."

I watched her for a moment and then looked across the field. Ian was towing Rob back to their side. Rob's eyes were tortured as he looked at his mate. I noticed that Aunt Rose had both arms wrapped around Tara to keep her from bolting as Rob had. Tears were flowing freely down her face. Everyone else was wide-eyed with shock.

"So you see, Emily, Jane does not take well to being underestimated," Aro said. I felt a surge of anger at the note of amusement in his tone.

"I have had enough of these pointless games," Caius spat. "Clearly this fictitious additional half-breed and her mate are a device intended to stall our proceedings," he said to Aro. "We must continue. This has gone on for long enough. The decision has been made. We cannot abandon the law. It has been put in place for a reason, a reason which apparently has escaped the Cullen and Winter coven. And now they must be punished for their mistake."  
"Peace, Caius, peace," Aro bade him. "We have all of eternity, do we not? Surely we can wait a few moments more. If this Rebecca and Ajay do not appear by then, we shall proceed."

"Forgive us for the lateness of our arrival," said a pleasant soprano voice.

I looked up quickly to see a red-haired female stride up behind my family. She was as pale as any vampire, and just as beautiful. Her delicate features bore a definite resemblance to those of Emily, Tara and William. Her gait, though graceful, was not quite as effortless as that of the tall, handsome vampire that walked beside her. He had pale brown skin and slightly windswept black hair. He was incredibly handsome, even more handsome than William and almost as handsome as my Jacob. His maroon eyes roved over my family before flicking to the Volturi.

Emily exhaled.

"Consider yourselves forgiven," smiled Aro. "Are you Rebecca Taylor?"

"I am," the red-haired woman confirmed. "This is my mate, Ajay."

The handsome vampire's gaze flashed to her for a moment and then back to Aro.

"And you've something to tell us?" Caius said.

Rebecca's brown eyes locked on Emily. "Yes," she said without looking away. "We've much to tell you."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

Rebecca drifted forward, her mate shadowing her every move. Everyone was staring at her with the same curiosity that I felt. I tried not to look at Jacob as I studied their faces. A blinding stab of pain shot through me as I caught his expression for the briefest of seconds. His glance shifted between Rebecca and me. The pain that I had seen earlier was still there. I felt the same uncomfortable gnawing that I always felt when I was separated from him. I sighed and forced it to the back of my thoughts as Aro spoke again.

"Well then," he said. "We would be most interested to hear what you have to say."

Rebecca looked away from Emily to meet his gaze. She raised her chin slightly. "Like Emily, I am a daughter of William Taylor. I am the seventh."

My jaw dropped. _Seven _other half-breeds?

"And you are the youngest?"

"No," she replied.

My eyes bulged.

"How many are there after you?" asked Aro in awe.

"Three," she replied.

I stared blankly. I almost couldn't believe what I was hearing. William had _ten __children_. That meant that there were ten women that he had murdered to create his monstrous family, to say nothing of the people that he had hunted. That brought another thought to mind: how many people had died to feed his eight carnivorous children? I shivered involuntarily.

I heard Emily give a horrified gasp. "No," she choked.

I continued to stare at Rebecca. "How is that possible?" I murmured beneath my breath. Surely the Volturi would have caught him by now? Emily said that they had been searching for him since the fifties. Had he really found a way to operate for an entire century without making a single mistake? A mistake that would have led them to him and his monstrous family?

I realized then that I had underestimated the amount of evil in the world. I hadn't ever imagined that anyone could be _that_ twisted.

After a moment, I looked at Emily. "You didn't know that there were ten?"

She tore her eyes away from her half-sister to look at me. Her eyes held a horrified grief that I knew I would never be able to fully comprehend. "I only knew about seven: me, Georgina, Catherine, Juliet, Tara, and then Rebecca, who told me about another one called Anya. I had no idea that there were…" She shook her head and trailed off.

"Ten," Aro mused. "How interesting."

Rebecca continued. "My siblings and I always knew that there were two that had left my father long ago, but he never spoke of it unless he was forced to. All he would tell us was that they had betrayed him. My older sisters, Catherine in particular–" Emily gave a low hiss at the name. "– Were more willing to discuss them. She said that the oldest and the fifth-born had left, and that there names were Emily and Tara. She said that she had never met Tara, but that Emily had been wicked and deceitful. Like my father, she told us that Emily had betrayed all of us and poisoned Tara against my father."

"Of course she did," Emily muttered darkly.

I looked at her.

"Catherine hated me more than any of the others. Of course, it shouldn't have been any surprise how she turned out. Her mother was just as moronic," Emily said distastefully.

"So I take it that the feeling of hatred is mutual on your part?" I said quietly.

"More than slightly," she agreed.

"We were raised to fear their names," Rebecca continued. "They were the unspeakable taboo, the familial embarrassment, but we were never told why they left. Not even Catherine knew. My father would never speak of it, no matter how we pestered him. It was still an area of great pain for him.

"I had always been exceptionally curious about them. Of course, we'd all expressed an interest in their story, but I found myself wondering about them constantly. I couldn't understand what would have driven them to actually leave the family.

"One day, I confronted my father about the matter. He was very resistant at first, but eventually he admitted that Emily had decided that what he was doing was wrong and she had taken his youngest daughter at the time, Tara, with her. He told me that she had been disillusioned by a coven of female vampires that had passed through. Fearing that they would go to you," she said, her gaze going directly to Aro for a moment, "he went after them and wiped their memories of anything pertaining to Emily, Tara or him. When he returned, Tara was gone and Emily was waiting for him. She told him that she and Tara were leaving with no intention of returning.

"When he asked her why, she told him that she had learned some sort of truth, and that she despised him for, in his words, allegedly lying to her. According to my father, she had been perfectly aware of what she was doing."

I glanced at Emily as she lowered her eyes. I felt a surge of sympathy for her. When I looked back at Rebecca, she too was looking at her.

"He said that she told him that taking human life was wrong and that she was ashamed to be his daughter. He made me promise not to tell the others about what he'd disclosed, and he never spoke of it again. But I began to ponder what she'd said about the morality of taking human life. I had seen what happened to the mothers of my siblings. We'd all gone along with the lies that he'd told them, and even helped him to create them. It didn't take me long to realized that she had been right.

"Several years passed. Unlike my sisters, I found myself unable to muster the courage to leave. I had never known another life, although I had come to realize that another life was possible." She looked to her mate, as did I. "It was after I met my mate that we finally left. We lived as nomads for a time, checking in with my family from time to time. And then, two weeks ago, Catherine told me that we had found Emily and Tara again, as well as their mates, Rob and Ian. She said that my father was having my younger sister, Anya, track them."

They had a tracker in their family, too? If Aro had wanted them before, I could only imagine how much he wanted them now. William had an immensely powerful family, and from what I was hearing, an immensely dangerous one.

Rebecca looked back at Aro, Marcus and Caius. "The prospect of meeting them excited me. I went immediately to Anya for their location. After some persuading, she gave it to me. I went to their home to discover that they were no longer there, and that they had taken up residence with none other than the infamous Cullen coven."

I blushed slightly at this. Apparently we'd made quite the ripple in the vampiric world.

"I found Emily's contact information at her home and phoned her. I told her who I was and that I believed as she did. We arranged to meet in Seattle the following day. She explained her situation to me and told me that she was leaving for Volterra, Italy the following day, with the intention of offering her life in the hopes that you would see fit to spare her family in return."

"You can't have seriously thought that that was going to work," I whispered to Emily. She knew our story, and probably the Denali's, as well. She had to have known that the Volturi weren't the sort to show mercy just because someone begged them to.

"I didn't," she whispered back. "That's why I agreed to meet her."

"She asked me to testify in the event that she was unsuccessful," Rebecca said.

"As fascinating as that story is," Caius said. "I'm afraid that that does not provide us with relevant information to this situation. What is it that you intend to tell us, precisely?"

"My father is a murderer. He brainwashed Emily and Tara as he did the rest of us. He manipulates, lies, murders, cheats, steals and corrupts. Each time he takes a new…wife," she said, her voice catching on the word. I saw Emily cringe in the corner of my eye. "He endangers our secrecy. I have seen him do it my entire life, helped him, even. All of my siblings have, with the exception of Tara. If someone is to be punished, let it be him. She had no control over the lies he fed her. She followed out his orders because it was the only thing she knew. Surely he is a greater priority than her and her family? My sisters have lived in accordance with the law from the moment they left our father, as has their family, which includes the Cullens.

"While I do not hate my father as I know Emily and Tara do, I know that he must be stopped and I know that he will never stop of his own volition. For my part, my mate and I are willing to give you his location, and that of his creator, the vampire Joham, under one condition."

Caius chuckled. "Surely you realize that we can force you to tell us regardless of your condition?" He glanced to a beautiful blonde female of medium height. Her red eyes glittered eagerly. "Rhonda," he said, waving her forward.

I shuddered. I didn't even want to imagine what her power was.

"Wait, wait," Aro said. "I am most curious as to what this condition is." He looked at Rhonda and Caius. "We shall hear this condition, and if necessary, Rhonda, my dear, you will extract the information we need from Ms. Taylor."

Rebecca glanced warily at Rhonda while Ajay glowered at her.

"Please, do continue, Rebecca," Aro said warmly.

"We will give you his location if you will agree to release and pardon Emily and the young one adjacent her, as well as their family for whatever crimes for which you seek to hold them accountable. If you fulfill this condition, we will tell you whatever you want to know about him of our own will."

I looked at her worriedly. Didn't she know how dangerous it was to make conditions for the Volturi? Aro didn't like being told what to do. But surely the chance to finally get "Creeper", as Jacob had dubbed him, would be tempting enough to overlook the slight blow to his ego…wouldn't it? I hoped for Rebecca's sake that it was. I wanted to thank her when this was all over. She didn't even know us and she was already sticking her neck out for us.

I glanced at Jacob, who was still staring at me. I wondered if he'd looked away from me at all since I'd crossed the field. _If we get out of this alive, he's going to kill you, you know,_ a voice in my head whispered. I did know. But I could take his anger, take it willing, even, if it meant that I would have my Jacob back. Jacob was essential to my survival. I knew from experience that I couldn't live without half of my heart.

My heart wrenched painfully as my mind drifted down the forbidden track of life without Jacob. It was almost worse than the skull-splitting agony that I'd experienced after I'd sent him away. Even then, I'd been able to comfort myself in the knowledge that he was alive, and maybe would heal enough one day to find someone else, someone better.

I itched to escape across the field, into his strong arms. The uncomfortable feeling, which I had managed to push aside, now fought its way forward again. It was stronger even stronger than before.

Emily tapped my arm. "Stop fidgeting," she whispered. "]I know you want to get back to Jacob, but be patient."

I hadn't even noticed that I'd been fidgeting. I sighed and tried to relax.

"Hmm," Aro murmured. "An interesting proposition, Ms. Taylor." He looked at Caius and Marcus.

Caius glanced briefly at Aro and then turned to Rebecca. "Is insolence now considered to be interesting?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

I bit my lip.

"I see no reason why we ought to tolerate this," Caius said. "Rhonda, if you would."

Ajay, who had been completely silent until then, suddenly flashed in front of his mate, his teeth barred as he gave a hair-raising snarl. "Get away from her," he growled at Rhonda in an accent that I instantly recognized as Indian. "Now," he barked for punctuation.

"She means her no harm," Aro assured him. "Rhonda's gift is not offensive."

"Call her back or you will get her back in pieces," Ajay hissed at him, though his eyes remained on Rhonda.

My eyes widened. I had never heard of anyone brave enough to actually _threaten_ the Volturi. Did he not realize how powerful they were?

Rhonda sauntered towards them casually as though she hadn't heard his threat. Her lips parted in a glittering smile of menace. "Let's do this the easy way, shall we?"

Ajay gave her a warning snarl as he slipped into a crouch.

My family stirred behind them. "Surely there isn't a need for this," Dad said. His tone was disapproving, but I didn't miss the trace of fear with it. "Rebecca has already agreed to give you William's location willingly. There is no need for Rhonda," he said.

"I disagree," Caius said.

I watched anxiously as Rhonda drew nearer. She stopped just in front of Ajay and stared at Rebecca, who was standing behind him, her brown eyes flicking from her mate to Rhonda.

Suddenly, Rhonda yelped and jumped back.

At the same time, Emily turned her face away and cussed loudly, clapping a hand over her eyes. Several of the Guard reacted similarly.

I shrieked in confused surprise. "What is it?"

She inhaled through her teeth. "_Ow_! Damn it, Tara! You could've given me some warning," she said darkly. After a moment, I realized she was utilizing their connection. "That hurt," she complained. "You almost blinded me!"

"She did what?" I asked uncomprehendingly. I hadn't seen anything.

"They just did something with their shield," she said, moving her hand away slowly. She opened her eyes experimentally. After blinking several times, she sighed and looked at me. "It felt like I was looking at a solar flare. It happens sometimes when I try to read Tara's words when she has her shield on max, but it's never _that_ powerful." She glared accusingly across the field at her sister, who gave a slight shrug in response.

I still couldn't understand. "So why didn't I see anything?"

"Because your gift doesn't work the way mine does," she said, her voice still laced with pain. "My gift relies mostly upon my eyes. Yours relies on touch."

I blinked and tried to riddle out what she'd said. "Oh. That sort of makes sense," I lied.

She smiled, easily detecting my falsehood.

I sighed. As if it wasn't inconvenient enough that my family already contained a mind-reader.

I looked back at Tara and remembered when she'd accidentally shocked me off. I shuddered involuntarily.

"A solar flare?" Aro said, barely bothering to disguise his longing. "Really? How immensely intriguing."

I grimaced. Now he was going to want Tara even more, and probably Mom.

"Well," said Aro in a slightly strained tone. "I doubt I'll be able to convince Tara and Bella to lower their shield," Aro said. He turned to his brothers. "So perhaps we ought to accept Ms. Taylor's offer?"

My breath caught. My entire body stiffened, every fibre in my being willing them to accept. I looked at Jacob again, and instantly felt my heart twist again. I looked at each of my family members: Mom, Dad, Uncle Emmett, Aunt Rose, Uncle Jasper, Aunt Alice, Grandpa Carlisle, Grandma Esme, Rob, Ian, Tara and Jacob. My eyes stopped on Jacob. I inhaled and then exhaled slowly as I tried to remain calm. As much as he wanted to add my family to his number, he would look greedy if he overlooked what Rebecca had said now. Emily had been very smart in planning this.

Emily squeezed my hand, her eyes just as frenzied with desperation. We both looked at Aro, Marcus and Caius as they deliberated yet again.

I counted my heartbeats in an attempt to remain calm. After almost twenty-four thousand beats, they drew apart. Aro's expression was one of extreme disappointment. "We shall accept your offer, Ms. Taylor."

Intense relief rushed over me. I couldn't believe that we'd come so close, yet again, and still managed to slip out of their grasp. I felt tears began to stream down my face at the same time as I began to shake once more. My legs suddenly felt like they were made of nothing more than Jell-O.

Emily yanked me into her arms and hugged me tightly. "I'm so sorry for putting the idea of self-sacrifice in your head," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I was an idiot."

We drew apart after a moment. I looked at Jacob immediately. Instead of the painful twinge that I had been expected, I felt a rush of love. Tears were streaming down his own face as he stared back.

"You are free to go," Aro said unwillingly to Emily and me.

His strange face blurred through my tears of victory. I looked at him briefly before being dragged across the field by Emily.

I felt like I was flying as I sprinted across the baseball clearing to the waiting arms of my true love. Jacob's painfully beautiful face was suddenly all that I could see. The moment his arms enveloped me, I knew I was safe. It was really over. We had really made it. Again. Against all of the odds, we had somehow survived.

"I don't know what you thought you were doing," he growled as he crushed me against his body. "But don't you _ever_ think like that again, Renesmee Carlie Cullen. _Ever._ Do you read me? _Never. Again._"

I burst peals of a strange combination of laughter and sobbing. "I'm so sorry, Jake, I'm so sorry."

"You damn well should be," said a gruff voice, but it did not belong to Jacob.

I winced and turned around slowly. My father was glowering at me with a terrifying expression, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. It was mirrored on my mother's face as she stood at his side. I was instantly pierced with guilt.

His expression gave way to one of pain mingled with relief. "Do you have any idea what you've just put us through?" he asked brokenly.

I opened my mouth to reply when Mom cut me off.

"No. You don't," she snapped in an equally unstable voice. "What in the hell were you thinking?"

"I couldn't let you die," I whispered.

"So your solution was to go and die yourself? That was the best solution that you could invent?" Dad said.

I began to sob again. "I'm sorry, Daddy," I said, throwing my arms around his cold, stony neck. He stiffened for a moment, and then hugged me tightly. Mom slid her arms around both of us and wept with me.

After several minutes, I heard Jacob clear his throat behind me. "Um, Edward? Bella? Do you think maybe I could get my fiancée back now?"

They released me reluctantly. When I drew away, Dad's expression was terrifying again. "We are _so_ far from finished with you," he said. "You are in _very _serious trouble, Renesmee Cullen," he said coldly.

Mom nodded in agreement with a bone-chilling glare. "Life imprisonment would be pleasant in comparison with the punishment that we are going to arrange for you."

I grimaced again. "I figured." I would probably be lucky if they grounded me for life. I looked up at Jacob.

"Don't look at me," Jacob said. "I'd ground you myself, but I know you'd find a way to talk me out of it."

"I'm sorry to take her from you," Grandpa Carlisle said, walking up to us. "But might I borrow her for a moment longer, Jacob? I'll try to be brief. I would like to speak to her and Emily for a moment, and then I'll bring her back to you."

I gulped. This wasn't going to be pleasant.

Jacob sighed and looked down at me. "Please do be brief," he said to Grandpa Carlisle.

Grandpa Carlisle forced a small smile and then looked at me. He opened an arm to me.

I made my way over to him and wrapped an arm around his torso while he wrapped one around my shoulders. He kissed the top of my head and led me towards where Emily was being violently embraced by Ian, who was snarling semi-coherently at her at the same time. Rob was standing to the side, looking at her with breath-taking pain. Tara was glowering at her sister as tears streamed down her face.

"_What_ did I tell you?" Ian was snapping at her. "I said '_Don't do anything stupid'_. And then you take off for _Italy_! Don't you _ever_ do that again, or so help me, I will go after you and knock some sense into your impossibly thick half-vampire skull! Are we clear?"

"Yes, yes, clearer than crystal!" she gasped, her voice pained. I couldn't blame her. Ian's grasp on her looked like it would have easily killed a mortal. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, okay? _Ow_! You're strangling me, Ian!"

"Serves you right!" he barked. "Running off to the Volturi…" He devolved once more into infuriated snarls.

"Forgive me," Grandpa Carlisle said gently. "Can I borrow her for a moment?"

Ian looked at Emily for a moment and then released her reluctantly.

Emily gasped for air. She stumbled over to us and massaged her ribs. She looked at my grandfather with a sheepish smile. "Carlisle," she said quietly.

"Keep an eye on her," Ian said to Grandpa Carlisle. "You never know. She might run off to Poland next."

Emily rolled her eyes.

Grandpa Carlisle chuckled and then hugged her with his free arm and kissed her forehead. "Let's talk," he suggested. He led us away from the rest of the family and then released us. He moved to stand in front of us. "I'm not going to scold you," he began.

We both sighed in relief.

"But I do want you two to know that what you did, as brave as it was, was unnecessary." Grandpa Carlisle led us through the forest as he gave us a lengthy speech on acting and reacting to situations as a family. When he finally finished half an hour later, Grandpa Carlisle called Dad to find out where the rest of the family had gone. I turned to Emily, thoroughly chagrined. She had tears in her eyes as she stared at the ground.

"Are you okay?" I asked her quietly.

She looked up and forced a small smile. "Yeah. I just feel pretty bad right now is all."

I knew what she meant. There was something intensely humbling about being lectured in Grandpa Carlisle's calm, controlled voice. It didn't help that I'd felt guilty to begin with.

Grandpa Carlisle returned moments later. "We're going to stay at the house in Forks for a few days, unless either of you are eager to return to school," he said, glancing from Emily to me and back again.

That was hardly a decision. "What's another week or two?" I shrugged.

Grandpa Carlisle smiled. "I thought you might feel that way. Emily?"

She smiled lightly. "That'll be fine."

"Excellent," he said. "Edward, Emmett and Jasper have already brought everything to the house, so we can go straight there."

We ran back through the forest and to La Push. I tried not to imagine what would be waiting for me when we got back. Mom and Dad had yet to unleash their fury upon me, not to mention my aunts and uncles.

And Jacob.

I winced. Whatever he gave me, I would take willingly. He had every right to be furious at me. I hated knowing that I hurt him. I would never be able to forget the look on his face after I'd crossed sides. And even then, my efforts had been in vain. Had Rebecca and Ajay not arrived, they would have killed us all anyway.

I shuddered.

We arrived at the house a few moments later. As much as I loved the house in Vancouver, coming back here felt like coming home.

I followed Grandpa Carlisle to the door and inhaled deeply as I stood on the threshold. After receiving a slight nudge from Emily, I stepped through the front door. Once we were both inside, we exchanged glances. "Good luck," we whispered to each other in unison.

Grandpa Carlisle gave us encouraging smiles and then led us into the front room. Everyone with the exception of Grandma Esme, was standing on the other side of the room, arms crossed and glowering.

I heard Emily swallow loudly. "Hi." Her voice was shaky.

Everyone began yelling at once. I could hear Jacob, Dad and Aunt Alice, who were shouting the loudest, above everyone else.

"What sort of idiot move was that?" Jacob was yelling. "I had the entire pack standing by on red alert. Do you know how close I came to calling them?"

"I cannot _believe_ that you would torture us that way, Renesmee," Dad snapped at the same time. "And _you_!" he said, looking at Emily.

"That was so _unbelievably_ moronic!" Aunt Alice snarled. "Both of you!"

I grimaced.

Aunt Alice flashed across the room to stand in front of us, glowering up at us. She started in on Emily first. "_You_!" she snapped. "How _dare_ you do that! Do you think it was _easy_ for Jacob to arrange for your protection? And then what did you do? The minute Jasper had his back turned, you ran off to Volterra to kill yourself! How could you be so stupid? We care about you, and some of us even care enough to kill for you! Did you even think about that?"

I cringed and flashed a quick look at Rob. He glanced briefly and Uncle Jasper and then lowered his eyes, shifting uncomfortably. Despite what his plans had been, I was utterly impressed with the self-control that he'd demonstrated in the clearing. I knew how difficult he found it to control himself around Uncle Jasper. I could only imagine the restraint it had taken to force himself not to kill him.

Emily, however, did not make the connection. She simply winced as she looked into my aunt's enraged eyes. "I'm sor–"

"I am not finished yet!" Aunt Alice hissed, cutting her off. "What you did was unbelievably moronic! I explained to you that Aro, Caius and Marcus were not here for justice, and you did what you did anyway. Did you not believe me? Did you think I was _joking_?"

"No, Alice, I–"

"Shut up! You scared the _hell_ out of us!"

I pursed my lips. I could only imagine what she had stored up for me.

Apparently I wouldn't have to imagine for long. "Renesmee Carlie Cullen." Aunt Alice's voice terrifyingly tranquil as she shifted her body to glower at me. "Just because she behaved foolishly does not mean that you were to follow after her senseless example. What on _earth_ got into your head?"

Aunt Alice's lecture lasted another five minutes. My parents came shortly thereafter, followed closely by Uncle Jasper, Uncle Emmett and Aunt Rose. Even Ian, Rob and Tara got their word in, although both Tara and Rob refused to speak to Emily. I was dreading the fight that would erupt when tensions finally boiled over between them. I'd seen first-hand how nasty those fights could be.

Mercifully, Jacob seemed to be finished. I looked at him continually throughout my various lectures. Whatever they said, whatever punishment I was forced to endure, it was worth it. Jacob was alive, along with the rest of my family. I knew in time that everyone would move on.

Despite the seemingly-incessant scolding, for the first time since this whole mess had started, I was happy, almost unbelievably, in that knowledge. Everyone that I loved had survived yet again, and for the moment, life was good. The cloud that had loomed over our lives since the Volturi had showed up in Vancouver in September had lifted. Somehow, we had made it through. Our lives would return to normal. Well, if my family even _had_ a "normal".

After the yelling and the anger finally subsided, Jacob wandered over to me. My heart rate increased automatically. It was almost an instinct by now.

He took a breath. "Wow. I didn't think they were ever going to stop."

I half-smiled. "Anything else you want to say?"

"Not really."

"I can take it, Jake. I know I deserve it."

He shook his head and cupped my face in his hands. "I'm not going to yell at you. Well, not anymore, at least. I spent…I don't even know how long, but it felt like forever, thinking that the Italian mobsters were going to kill you. I'm not going to waste a second of our time together by fighting with you."

I could feel myself swooning. My head started to swim. "Jacob," I whispered.

"Yes?" he asked in his divine voice.

"You are utterly perfect."

He laughed. I had forgotten how good his laugh sounded. "You really are silly, Nessie." He kissed me, and rather unfairly. My brain had been jumbled enough before that. I hadn't a prayer of computing a coherent thought now.

"_Augh_," Dad said disgustedly. "_Please_, mutt. I would appreciate it if you could keep your thoughts PG. And on that note, please take your paws off of my daughter. She's in rather a lot of trouble at the moment, and you are downplaying the severity of her actions."

Crimson bloomed across my face automatically.

"She's my fiancée," Jacob said.

"And she is my daughter."

My irritation cleared my head slightly. "Dad," I protested. "Seriously. I'm not a kid."

He opened his mouth to reply, but swallowed his reply. His eyes flicked to me. "Don't imagine that your punishment is over, Renesmee."

I sighed. "Of course not," I muttered.

* * *

The following morning, Mom woke me up at nine. Dad had sent Jacob home for the night, despite the objections that he'd received from just about everyone, Aunt Rose being the obvious exception. Whatever he'd been thinking yesterday, it must have been bad.

_Oh well,_ I thought to myself. _He didn't try to kick Jacob out or put more locks on my door this time._

"Nessie, come on," Mom said, shaking me again. "We're going into town today. I want to pay some of my old friends a visit, while we're here. We're also going to show the Winters around. Please get up."

"Is Jacob back yet?" I asked groggily as I opened my eyes.

"No. Your father isn't letting him back into the house for a little while. I take it Jacob did something not to his liking yesterday." I could hear the burning curiosity behind her words, but I chose to ignore it.

"I guess so," I muttered, clearing my throat. Unfortunately, I couldn't keep a blush from heating my face. I studied her for a moment. "So you're not mad at me anymore?"

She shook her head. "Jacob was right. We thought we were going to lose you. Why waste time being angry? Besides, it looks like Alice has it covered."

I cringed, and then smiled at her. "Thanks, Mom."

She kissed my forehead. "You're welcome. And don't worry about your father. He'll come around. Now come on. You've got to get dressed."

I sat up and stumbled over to my closet. I dug through the seemingly-endless rows of clothes. I frowned as I noticed that they were all my size. We had sent all of my clothes to Goodwill when we'd moved, since I was outgrowing them anyway. "When did Aunt Alice get the time to go shopping?" I asked.

Mom chuckled, crossing her legs. "She made a trip to Seattle while we were staying at Jacob's place. She came over a few times to stock the house. She had a vision that we'd be staying here. As your dad says, Alice will be Alice."

I sighed and picked out a pair of black jeans and a shirt that I was sure she would approve of. The least I could do was make an attempt with my appearance today. I would need all of the brownie points that I could possibly score with Aunt Alice. It would be the least that I could do to make up for my little stint with the Volturi.

Mom brushed my hair and even helped me apply a light layer of makeup. I tried to ignore the way it felt against my skin.

Mom stepped back when she had finished and smiled at me wordlessly.

I instantly felt self-conscious. "What?"

"You're so beautiful, Nessie."

I snorted and willed my face not to warm. "Yeah, because you're not biased at all."

She laughed and hugged me around the waist. "Come on."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

"You want to go see _who_?" Dad asked in shock. "Bella, if this is a joke–"

"It's not a joke, Edward," Mom said, leaning back against the kitchen counter, her arms crossed. "I want to see Mike and Jessica."

Mom had told me about her friends, Mike and Jessica Newton, and their two-year-old daughter, Lacy. In her words, Mike Newton had had a "little crush" on her in high school. When I'd asked Dad, however, he'd painted quite a different picture.

"Bella," Dad said, shaking his head. "He is lucky that he survived our wedding, with the thoughts that were going through his head. Would you like me to fill you in?"

I tried not to gag.

"Absolutely not." Mom looked like she would have been blushing if she still could. "But that does not change the fact that they are my friends."

"Really," Dad said, crossing his arms. "And when was the last time you spoke to either of them?"

I sighed, tuning them out as I pushed my cereal around my bowl with my spoon. It looked about as appealing as a bowl brimming with pencil shavings and sawdust, but Dad had placed me under a two-month hunting restriction as a part of my punishment, although he had assured me that there was plenty more to come. And, knowing my father, there undoubtedly was.

I glanced over my shoulder to make certain that Dad wasn't watching, and then dumped the contents of my half-full cereal bowl down the sink. I left the room and wandered towards the living room. I glanced out the front window. The day was nice enough, by Forks standards. The sky was obscured by clouds, but the cover was light enough to allow a significant amount of light through. I wondered how close I could get to La Push before Dad figured out what I was doing. Well, actually, he hadn't said I couldn't go _there._ He'd just said that Jacob couldn't come _here_.

I wandered outside, not entirely sure where I was going. I rounded the corner of the house and meandered towards the garage. I blinked in surprise as I caught sight of Emily sitting against the wall of the garage, her head in her hands. "Are you okay?" I asked her.

She looked up at me in surprise.

I frowned as I noted the dark black circles beneath her bloodshot eyes. Remarkably, she looked even paler and sicker than she had yesterday. "What _happened_ to you?"

She dropped her face back into her hands and gave a low, agonized moan.

I knelt in front of her and studied her face. "Em?"

She didn't move.

I touched her arm lightly. "Are you okay?" I asked her once more.

"No," she said, her voice barely a whisper.

"What happened?" I asked again.

She moved her hands away from her face and let them drop to her lap. She curled them into fists and closed her eyes. "Alice told me what Rob was planning to do. To Jasper," she choked.

I grimaced as I thought of how Rob had almost attacked Uncle Jasper on the field.

"I'll never forgive myself for that, ever," she said, her voice barely audible. A tear escaped down her cheek.

I looked at her sympathetically. I knew how close she was with Uncle Jasper and Aunt Alice. They were probably her best friends out of all of us. To know that her mate would have killed him, leaving Aunt Alice as a widow for the rest of time…which would mean that Aunt Alice would undoubtedly want to die…

I shuddered. I could now understand why she looked so awful.

She sniffed. "And then there's you…putting the idea in your head that what I did was acceptable…" She shook her head, her forehead furrowing as anguish swept across her face.

I sighed. I was never going to hear the end of that.

"I would love dearly to throw myself off of a cliff right now," she mumbled.

I thought of Mom's "cliff-diving" incident, and of the events that had followed. "Trust me, you wouldn't," I said.

She locked her fingers in her hair and leaned her elbows against her knees. "I almost got him killed. My stupidity almost got us _all_ killed, but if Rob had killed him…I don't know how I would live with myself. I don't know how I will as it is." More tears rolled down her cheeks. "I put you all through so much pain. What horrible sort of monster am I?"

"That sort of thinking is what put us in this position," I reminded her. "Rob's decision was Rob's decision. He changed it in the end anyway."

"His decision was based upon _my_ stupid decision."

I couldn't argue with that. I looked at her for a moment. "Was it easy for you? To decide to give yourself up, I mean?"

She looked up at me through wet eyelashes. She sniffed again and pushed her hair out of her face. "No. It tormented me the entire day that Alice called. I started to panic. I didn't think that Alice was joking when she told me that they were coming only to kill and collect, that it had nothing to do with justice, but I started to believe that she'd overstated it to keep me from doing anything reckless. More accurately, I didn't _want_ to believe her. I didn't want to believe that they were coming for Tara and I was powerless to stop them.

"You have to understand, from the time she was born, Tara has been more of a daughter to me than a sister. I raised her almost entirely on my own, since my fa – William," she corrected herself, "wanted nothing to do with yet another _daughter_," she said disdainfully. "She was my entire life until we met Rob and Ian, the only reason that I had to live. She was the only reason that I _wanted_ to live." She lowered her gaze to her hands. "I don't know what drew me to her more than to the others. Perhaps it was because she is so like her mother, Lillian. I'd loved Lillian like the mother I'd never had, and she had loved me as a daughter in return, despite the fact that we were almost the same age physically. But I knew from the first time that I held Tara that there was nothing that I wouldn't do for her. So when Alice told us that they were coming for her, I knew instantly that I had to do something."

"But it's not like Ian would have let anything happen to her," I pointed out.

"No, of course not," she said. "I have never once doubted Ian's ability to protect her." She gave a small smile. "If anything, Ian tends to be _over_-protective. But he's my 'big little brother', as he likes to say, and I love him dearly. I would no sooner see him harmed than I would see Tara harmed, and I knew that he would gladly hurl himself in harm's way if it meant saving her. And, I knew that if something should happen to him, Rob would be the next to take his place, and that was an idea far beyond unbearable.

"When Alice called and told us that they knew it was Tara that possessed the super-shield, I started thinking. In my mind, I was still convinced that they were after us for helping William. And, as Rebecca testified, Tara is the only one who has never helped him. Until we moved in with all of you, she'd never even imagined that there were more of us. Not telling her was among the most selfish things I've ever done." She was silent for a moment. "I spent most of that day pacing in the room that Tara and I shared. I swear to you, Nessie, I considered every other avenue that I could think of, but nothing seemed as reassuring as the thought of trying to fix the situation myself. I suppose I'm a bit of a control freak." She smiled sheepishly.

I laughed, though it sounded all wrong. It sounded like more of a wheeze.

"By that night, I was still undecided. I knew what I thought had to be done, but I did not want to die without seeing Rob again.

"But when I looked at Tara, lying there, sleeping peacefully, and then I imagined the Volturi destroying her for her refusal to join them…" She shivered. "It was insufferable. I'd already let her mother die. To Lillian, letting Tara die would have been the ultimate betrayal, greater even than not warning her about why William had chosen her." She studied me for a moment, her expression intense. "I even looked in on you and Jacob."

My eyes widened in surprise.

"You two were both fast asleep. I thought about how kind you and everyone else had always been to Tara, Rob, Ian and me. I thought about how Jacob had not only willingly faced Sam's wrath in order to secure a place for us to stay while we waited for the Volturi, but allowed us to stay in his own home. I knew there was no way that I could let you pay for the despicable things that I had done."

Jacob and I had been what had made up her mind? Well that was flattering, in a strange, twisted way.

"I had intended to leave immediately, but then I realized that I'd forgotten about Jasper. 'Where are you going?' he asked me. I made something up quickly, and he pretended to believe me." Her gaze became distant. "I don't know how much he was able to guess by my behaviour, but he said, 'You know that you can't fix this, don't you?' And then I pretended to believe him. But as I said before, I didn't want to believe that. I didn't want to be rendered useless.

"We talked for a while, until Jacob awoke. Jasper told me that they were going to a meeting of the packs. I hugged him goodbye, and then left moments after them.

"I was halfway to Seattle when I got the call from Rebecca. She and Ajay took a flight down from Vancouver, and I met them the following afternoon. She told me who she was and some of what had happened since Tara and I had left. And then it was my turn. I told them about everything that happened while I was with William, and then afterwards." She sucked in a shaky breath.

I looked at her for a moment. I hadn't missed the significance of the fact that she no longer referred to William as her father. But I couldn't blame her. The fool had tried to sell out his own children to the Volturi, plus the rest of our family. And she called herself a monster.

"I told them the situation that we were facing, and what I planned to do. Of course, they tried to stop me at first, but I think Rebecca knew that I had to try. So, together we strategized about what we would do if my plan failed. She volunteered to testify on our behalf, and to give them William's location."

"Where are they now?" I asked.

"They're still with the Volturi, helping them track him down." She fidgeted for a moment. "They're planning to meet us back in Vancouver once they find him."

That was good. I had a lot to thank them for.

"We spent the day and a good portion of the night talking. When we finally finished, I left for the airport. I bought a ticket to Rome and then took a train to Volterra."

I shuddered.

"When I arrived, I had no idea what I was looking for or where to go. So, I decided the easiest way to find them would be to have them come to me." She smiled slightly. "I started… questioning some locals in Italian."

I frowned slightly. "What did you say?"

She smiled. "_Mi perdoni, dove posso trovare i vampiri più vicino_?"

I jumped at the sound of several people chuckling behind me. To my intense shock, everyone except for Grandpa Carlisle was standing around us, listening to Emily's story intently. When had they gotten there? And where was Grandpa Carlisle? I hadn't heard any of them come. I must have been more wrapped up in her story than I'd thought. Everyone excepting Tara and Mom were smiling. Mom looked as confused as I felt, and Tara looked angry.

I decided to sacrifice my pride and ask. "What does that mean? I don't speak Italian." So far, Dad had only gotten around to teaching me French, Spanish and Latin.

"It means, 'Forgive me, where can I find the nearest vampires?'" Dad told me with a chuckle. "Ingenious."

Emily nodded her head in thanks.

My eyes widened. "You actually said that?"

"Yes. Of course, they wrote me off as insane, but I'd scarcely been there four days when Demetri, Jane and Rhonda found me. They were none too pleased with what I had been doing, as I'm sure you can imagine.

"As I was passing an alleyway, I was grabbed by the one called Demetri. He seized me by the throat and flung me against a wall. 'What do you think you're doing, friend?' he snarled at me."

A shiver worked its way down my spine at how accurately she replicated his voice.

"I told him that I was looking for Aro, Caius and Marcus. Jane took over then. 'Now what sort of human would know about them?' she demanded of me. 'Who told you about us?' I told her that I was a half-breed, and that I was rather disappointed that they sent pathetic little children to do their bidding."

Everyone laughed, with Tara being the exception once more. I couldn't imagine that Jane had taken that particularly well.

She chuckled with us. "I think it was about then she started to seriously dislike me. She told me that if I valued my 'strange, inconvenient existence', I had best be quiet and follow them, before she decided to tell Aro that I'd tripped in the fountain and drowned accidentally. I doubted that she realized I was already aware of his gift.

"They took me underground and eventually we reached a castle. I was admitted almost immediately upon arriving. They led me into what looked like a throne room. Unsure of what to do, I bowed to them and waited for someone to speak to me.

"Aro laughed and told me that there was no need for me to bow, as there was no king present. 'I hear you've been causing quite the stir in my city,' he said. 'What explanation do you give for this?' I told him that I regretted causing such a disturbance, but that I had been looking for him, and that I had an offer to present to him and his fellows.

"'And what might that be?' he asked me.

"I told him that my name was Emily Winter, and that I'd heard that he had been looking for me and my family. He immediately looked interested.

"'Ah yes,' he said. 'Emily. I have heard _so_ much about you.' He had Dario and Fabian identify me as the one that they had first met when they appeared in our house, and then asked me why I had hurt two of his own. But, of course, you know most of this part. It was repeated in the field.

"After I gave them my offer, Aro told me that they would need time to consider. He had Rhonda and Demetri find me what he called 'suitable accommodations'. I had assumed that he was referring to a dungeon. Instead, Rhonda locked Demetri and me in a surprisingly-grand suite several corridors away from the throne room. He stood by the door, his arms crossed, and watched me as we waited. He told me about the last time that the Cullens had been in Volterra, and about the time that they had gone to Forks."

Goosebumps rose on my arms. Now I would have two very unpleasant memories of the Volturi and the family baseball field.

"He also told me that I had been a fool to come, because there was no way that they were going to let everyone off the hook. He said that they'd been compiling information about us for a very long time. Of course, I had never imagined that he'd meant that William had been giving them half of it," she growled.

I felt like growling along with her.

"We were there for at least a day before Rhonda returned with Felix. Felix and Demetri led me back to the throne room while Rhonda left on an 'errand', as she put it. I didn't understand what she meant until I heard tourists screaming a short while later.

"When we arrived, Demetri forced me to my knees, and then Aro very politely told me that they appreciated my self-sacrificial bravery, but that it would not be enough to outweigh the debts owed by everyone else. They told me that we would be leaving the next day for Forks, where I would stand trial with everyone else, and I would pay the same price."

I could still very clearly remember that day. I felt another rush of warmth upon realizing that once more we had survived impossible odds, all of us, and that eventually we would be all right. I didn't know how long it would take for us to reach that point, but I was sure that we would reach it eventually.

"They flew me and half the Guard on their private jet to a private airport outside of Tacoma. I was completely frozen for most of the flight. I couldn't believe that things were really as bad as they seemed. Of course, I hadn't really believed that Aro had intended to show us mercy. I had hoped that it would be enough to stall them, if even for a short while. But I believe that some part of me had truly hoped that Aro would simply accept my offer and allow you to return to your lives. But, frozen though I was, thankfully I had the presence of mind to call Rebecca from the plane and tell her that I had failed. She told me that she and Ajay were almost half a day away from Forks, but that they would get there as soon as possible.

"From Tacoma, we drove up to Forks. Once we neared the baseball clearing, they ordered me to go ahead of them and wait for all of you to arrive. Felix told me that they would kill me if I tried to run."

"Say, why don't we get a private jet?" Uncle Emmett asked.

"Yeah," Jacob agreed. My heart sang at the sound of his voice. How had I not noticed him arrive? "We have _loads_ of cars," he said, gesturing to the garage, which contained his Aston Martin, Rob's Rolls-Royce, Aunt Alice's Porsche, Dad's Volvo and Grandpa Carlisle's Mercedes – only a fraction of the cars that we owned. "But we don't have our own jet yet. Why is that?"

"I could fly it," Ian volunteered.

"But I wanted to fly it," Uncle Emmett said in a slightly whiney tone.

"Take turns," Mom suggested.

"Or buy two," Aunt Alice put in.

"There's an idea," Uncle Emmett said enthusiastically.

I shook my head. He was so juvenile so much of the time, but he sure did know how to lighten the mood. "You're one of a kind, Uncle Emmett," I said.

He grinned down at me. "I know. Isn't it awesome?"

"So you're trying to tell me that you tried to _kill yourself_ for _me_?" Tara snarled at Emily suddenly, instantly sobering us once more. "That somehow you were helping me by trying to off yourself?"

Apparently she'd been here for a while. As I scrutinized her infuriated expression, I noticed that her eyes looked about as bad as Emily's.

"You were doing me favour, was that it?" she hissed.

"Scarlet," Ian said gently, laying a hand on her shoulder.

She shrugged it off and took a step towards Emily, her eyes smouldering with pure, unconcealed anger. I shrank away from her slightly. I had never seen a look like that on Tara's face.

"_Scarlet_?" I heard Uncle Emmett mutter mirthfully.

I didn't turn, but I heard several dull thuds of hands connecting with his head and numerous people mutter, "Shut up, Emmett".

"I _wasn't_ thinking, T," Emily replied meekly. "I'm sorry. I thought I was doing the right thing."

"Well clearly you were wrong!" Tara exploded back. "Very, _very_ wrong!"

"Tara, please," Ian said quietly. "She knows that."

"And what about you, Nessie?" she demanded, rounding on me.

The look on her face made me want to run for cover. I swallowed and avoided her green eyes, which burned with blistering rage.

"Tara, _stop_." It was Rob this time. His voice rang with his rarely-used tone of authority.

Her eyes flicked to him angrily. "Are you disagreeing with me?"

His topaz eyes were hard as he replied, "Stop it. Now. They made a mistake." He glanced briefly at Emily.

I blinked. Where was his anger? I had expected that if anything, he would have taken Tara's side. After all, she was sort of right. We had made a huge mistake, both of us. But, fortunately, Emily had had a Plan B, which had saved all of our necks. My stupidity hadn't been nearly as well orchestrated.

Tara glowered at him for a moment, and then walked in the opposite direction.

I looked at Emily to gauge her reaction. She was on her feet now, and staring at the ground. Her eyes burned with remorse.

I rose as well and waited for someone to speak.

Aunt Alice sighed after several seconds of silence. "Well, I forgive both of you. But if you ever do that again, forget about the Volturi, _I_ will become your greatest worry. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Aunt Alice," I said, smiling.

She hugged me tightly for a moment and then embraced Emily.

"I'm so sorry," I heard Emily whisper to her. "If I'd known…"

"It's in the past now," Aunt Alice assured her. "Just don't do it again. I won't be so forgiving next time. But there's no need for all that unpleasantness since there won't _be_ a next time, will there?"

"No," Emily said.

She nodded. "Good. But there _is_ something I have to do first."

She frowned slightly. "What?"

"I have to slap you."

Emily rolled her eyes.

"I'm not joking."

"Ha," Ian said smugly, nudging his sister in the ribs.

"Now hold still," Aunt Alice instructed her, taking a step back. "If you move, it'll only hurt more." She drew her arm back and jumped up to strike at Emily's face. Emily leapt backwards at the last second, leaving Aunt Alice's hand to swipe through empty air.

"I said _don't_ move!" she hissed. "Now I have to try to hit you again."

"It was instinctive!" she protested.

"Let me help you," said Uncle Emmett, lifting Aunt Alice so that her face was level with Emily's.

"I'll hold her still," Ian said, grasping the tops of her arms.

Emily twisted around to glare at him. "You are pure evil, Ian Samuel McMaster the Fourth."

I chuckled and shook my head. We were a truly unique family.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Ian grinned.

Aunt Alice drew back again and struck Emily with such force that she knocked Emily straight out of Ian's grasp and to the ground.

Jaws dropped.

"Woopsies," said Aunt Alice in a falsely innocent tone as Uncle Emmett, who was roaring with laughter, set her down. "I guess I don't know my own strength."

When Emily got up, there was a flaming red mark where Aunt Alice's hand had met her face. "_Ow_!" she exclaimed, rubbing her cheek. "Did you have to hit me _that_ hard?"

"Yes."

Ian howled with laughter. "Can I hit her next?" he asked.

"That's enough," Rob said firmly to his brother. The look on his face kept Ian from objecting. He knelt beside Emily and turned her chin away from him gently so he could see the mark more clearly. He glared at Aunt Alice and sighed. "Was that _really_ necessary?"

She nodded seriously. "Necessary, needed and deserved."

Emily looked at him curiously, clearly wondering as I was where this sudden burst of concern was coming from.

Rob helped her to her feet. "Well, I suppose that if she were my sister, I probably would have done the same."

Aunt Alice smirked.

"Well, I'd say that this calls for a celebration," Uncle Emmett piped up.

"I get slapped in the face, and you want to have a celebration?" Emily said, glaring at him.

"Why not?" Uncle Emmett said, shrugging. "Life's all about enjoying the little pleasures. Who's with me?"

"What did you have in mind?" asked Grandpa Carlisle with an attempt at a casual tone, but I did not miss the wariness behind it. Nor did Uncle Emmett.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm starved…metaphorically. I'd love to bag a grizzly or two."

"Me as well," said Aunt Rose. "The grizzlies down here really are better."

Dad glanced at Mom and me. "Are you coming?"

"I'm in," Mom said. "I suppose we can do the Forks trip another day. But Mike, oh, Mike! How will I survive another day without him?"

Dad snarled.

Mom grinned and looked at me as she waited for me to respond.

"I think I'll just eat something human," I said, although thanks to Dad's restriction, it wasn't like I really had any other choice.

Everyone's eyes widened.

"What I mean is," I amended quickly. "I'll just eat some human food. The animal population in the area is going to take enough of a hit as it is."

Mom chuckled. "All right. We won't be long." She kissed my forehead. "Please _try_ to stay out of trouble."

I made a face at her.

She laughed again and left hand-in-hand with Dad.

Dad paused and gave Jacob a lingering look. "Jacob."

Jacob looked at him. "Yeah?"

"I'll be listening."

He grinned. "All righty, Ed."

Aunt Rose kissed me next before following Mom and Dad. She smiled at me, and even managed to give Jacob a tiny grimace. They were definitely making progress.

"I'll go find Tara," Ian sighed. "You," he said, pointing at Emily. "Are going to hunt. You look dead on your feet. When as the last time you ate, anyway?"

"Um…" she swallowed guiltily. "A while?"

His glower intensified.

"Quite a while?"

"And when was the last time you slept?" he demanded.

"Well," she said, glancing at the sky as she thought. "I think I got a few minutes on the plane to Italy…"

"That was over a week ago!" Ian exploded.

"Now are you going to start caring for yourself, or am I going to have to tell Carlisle?" Dad asked her, crossing his arms.

Emily winced. "Please don't."

Ian glared at her for another long moment. "Go. Hunt. Now."

She chuckled. "Aye-aye, Private." She and Rob trailed after everyone else, Uncle Jasper and Aunt Alice just behind them.

Jacob sighed and looked down at me. "Well, why don't we go to Forks to get something to eat?"

I nodded enthusiastically. The prospect of dinner, especially dinner alone with Jacob was far too good to pass up. "Sure."

"Come on," he said. "I'll carry you."

I climbed on to his back and wrapped my arms around his neck. I was grateful for his warmth. The sky had darkened, and rain began to fall.

"Ready?"

I kissed his russet cheek in reply. My stomach fluttered as he took off through the woods. I narrowed my eyes against the rain as it streamed into my face and inhaled his gloriously woodsy smell.

I let my mind wander down the road to September. Nine months had never seemed so long. I hoped that Emily and Tara could resolve their differences before then, not to mention the differences between Tara and me. I had never imagined that she would have been so angered by me doing something as stupid as what I'd done. I had expected that sort of reaction from Jacob or from my parents, or even Aunt Rose, but not from Tara. She was so quiet all the time.

"What're you thinking about?" asked Jacob.

"Tara's little freak-out."

He chuckled. "Yeah. That was a little unexpected. I didn't know she had it in her."

"Me neither."

Jacob let me down as we neared one of the main roads into Forks. We were both soaked to the bone. Aunt Alice was going to kill us for wrecking our clothes. I remembered then that I was wearing makeup and wiped a finger beneath my eye. It came away black with the eyelash stuff. "Well I'm a freaking mess. Why didn't we take the car?" I groaned wringing out the hem of my shirt.

He kissed me. "You look beautiful. The smudgy makeup kind of accents your eyes."

I hit him playfully. "Don't make fun of me."

He laughed and then stared down the road for a moment. Suddenly, he looked at me again, a gleam in his black eyes. "Hey. I know a place that we could go for dinner where no one will care what we look like."

I frowned. "Where?"

"I'll show you," he said, gathering me up in his arms once more. I turned my face towards his chest to shield my eyes from the rain as it pelted us. I tried to think of where he was taking me. La Push, maybe? But somehow that didn't seem likely. I couldn't think of any establishment in Forks that would have been thrilled to see two dripping strangers, and he would have taken the car if we were going farther than Forks.

And then it hit me.

Grandpa Charlie.

I considered that for a moment. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. I didn't want to upset him, but at the same time, I still wanted to see him.

I'd been so remarkably lucky in the past weeks. Getting to keep my Jacob with me when we left, Grandpa Charlie not wanting to know what we were, despite my drastic physical changes, the incident with the Volturi…There had been so much potential for disaster and by some incredible stroke of luck, – or whatever it was that people like us got – we had avoided it all.

"Figured it out yet?" he asked.

"Grandpa Charlie," I stated.

"Bingo." I could hear the grin in his voice.

I sighed in an attempt to cover up my eagerness. The visit with Grandpa Charlie had gone so well last time, better than I had ever dared to imagine. I was confident, perhaps overly-confident, but I felt sort of high, as though I were invincible. I had reason enough. Who else in the history of our world had withstood so many confrontations with the Volturi?

_Don't get too confident yet_, I chided myself lightly. _They won't ever be finished with us, not as long as Aro still lusts after Aunt Alice, Dad, Mom and Tara's powers._

The thought sobered me, but it wasn't enough to crush the sensation. I looked up at Jacob and took his hand. "Let's go."

"You're not going to freak out this time?" he asked warily.

I shook my head. "He's not in danger anymore."

He rolled his eyes. "He wasn't in danger before, either. You just–"

"Worry a lot, yes, I know," I said. "You know, it's funny. I could have sworn you've told me that before."

He chuckled as we walked up the street to Grandpa Charlie's house. We were eight houses away when we both stopped abruptly.

"Oh crap," Jacob muttered.

"You've got to be kidding." Sue Clearwater's scent led up to the house. It was fresh – she was still here. My fears were confirmed when I caught sight of her much-abused old Ford parked in my grandfather's driveway. Sue knew the legends as well as Jacob, but I couldn't help but wonder how she'd feel about seeing me. Aside from Emily and Tara, I didn't know anyone that wouldn't be surprised and or horrified by my inhuman rate of development.

"Should've figured," Jacob whispered to himself. "Well, let's hope she's gotten over it."

"Gotten over what?" I asked, frowning.

He winced slightly, clearly hoping I wouldn't ask. "She uh…well, she's not such a big fan of your family, not since Seth and Leah broke ranks and joined me a few years back. And she figured that…" He sighed. "It's ridiculous. Don't worry about it."

"No, I want to know," I prodded.

He gave me a pleading look. "_Please _let it go?"

"I have a right to know why she doesn't like me, Jake."

He sighed again. "Fine, but know that this is one hundred percent Sue's bias. It's not true at all." He glanced at his hands. "She figured it was sort of…you know, your fault that Seth and Leah left since uh…since we were all trying to protect Bella, who was protecting _you_."

"Protecting me from everyone else," I nodded. "I know this story. Mom told me herself. She told me how she and Aunt Rose were the only ones who really wanted me." Of course, she'd left out the part about Jacob imprinting on me and the bit about the two of them being in love.

"And that doesn't upset you at all?" he asked incredulously.

I shrugged. "Aunt Alice told me that she would have gladly taken up the cause if she'd known me. I was the unknown quantity, and I was killing Mom. I can't blame them for feeling the way they did."

He seemed taken aback. "Oh," he said simply.

"I just wished they'd have told me that you imprinted on me."

"Actually," he said sheepishly. "I was the one that didn't want them to tell you."

I blinked. "Why?"

"Well, I didn't want you to ever feel like you had to choose me. If you'd gone with someone else, sure, I would've been miserable, but it's always been your choice, and I didn't want to take that away from you. I wanted you to have a chance at a normal life. Well, normal-ish."

I smiled. "Normal" and "Cullen" were pretty much mutually exclusive entities.

"Anyway, I just didn't want you to feel like you were letting me down if you didn't choose me or something like that. So I told them not to tell you." He chuckled suddenly. "They were so mad when I imprinted on you. Your mom almost killed me, you know."

My eyes bulged. _Killed _him?

"Of course, stupid Seth jumped in front of me in the nick of time and she ended up fracturing his collarbone." He shook his head. "Dumb kid. Anyway, if you think Rosalie hates me now." He laughed. "You should have seen her then. Your dad wasn't too impressed either."

"You should have told me," I said simply.

"Well I know that _now_. But at the time, it seemed like the best thing for you."

"I appreciate the thought," I said as we resumed walking towards the house. "That was very sweet of you."

He shrugged. "I've only ever wanted the best for you."

I smiled. " I know." I leaned into his side as we walked up to Grandpa Charlie's door. Inside, I could hear him and Sue laughing, as well as the scraping of cutlery against dishes. I could smell chicken, potatoes and carrots coming from the kitchen.

"Smells good," Jacob commented as he tapped on the door. "Eh Charlie Boy! It's your favourite almost-son-in-law!"

I giggled.

He shot me my favourite grin as Grandpa Charlie opened the door. His face split into a brilliant smile. "Jake! Ness! Well, how 'bout that. Come right in."

"Thanks, Chief," Jacob said as he led me into the house. "Hey, Sue! Good to see you."

Sue made no reply. Her eyes were locked on me. Her eyes were wide with unmasked fear and the slightest hint of disgust. Her mouth kept opening and closing, but she made no sound.

I blushed, trying to think of what I could say to put her at ease. I opted for manners. "Hello, Mrs. Clearwater."

She winced and leapt to her feet at the sound of my voice.

"Hey now, Sue," Jacob said. "She doesn't bite. Well, much."

"Yeah, don't go," Grandpa Charlie said as she rushed around the kitchen, collecting her things and dumping them into her purse.

"Excuse me." She grabbed her coat before rushing out of the house, giving us a wide berth. "I'll see you this ev–" she started to say to Grandpa Charlie over her shoulder. "Later," she amended.

Apparently she hadn't gotten over it.

Jacob sighed. "Well, that didn't go as well as I'd hoped."

Grandpa Charlie shrugged. "She'll get used to it."

I doubted that, although I made a point of not voicing my thoughts. But who could blame her? Her reaction was perfectly understandable – normal, even. But it still stung slightly.

"Well, Sue made me a lovely pot roast. You two want some?" he asked, gesturing to a large black baking dish on the counter, from which the mouth-watering chicken, potato and carrot scent was emanating.

"Sure," Jacob replied.

"Have a seat," Grandpa Charlie said as he dug two plates out of the cupboard.

Jacob and I took adjacent seats at the small kitchen table. I glanced out the window at the rain as it began to fall harder, washing away all traces of the snow that had fallen several days earlier. I randomly wondered about the weather in Vancouver.

"So, what brings you kids back so soon?" asked Grandpa Charlie. He set a plate that was very near to overflowing in front of Jacob. Apparently he was well acquainted with the wolves' ravenous appetites.

"Just visiting," Jacob said.

Grandpa Charlie sighed. "You going to let Nessie talk, chatty?"

I blushed.

Jacob grinned and looked at me. "Sorry, Chief."

"Well, we um…we're just visiting, like Jacob said," I stuttered, uncomfortable that the focus of the conversation had suddenly shifted to me.

"You guys going to be here a while?" Grandpa Charlie asked, very deliberately looking at me. He sat down across from us with a can of beer.

"A week or so," I guesstimated. "Grandpa Carlisle's on break at the hospital right now, but he's going to have to get back before too long."

"And what about you? Shouldn't you be at school? I wouldn't want to have to arrest my own granddaughter for truancy."

I smiled. "Well, school's on break for the Christmas season right now."

"Oh right," he said, nodding as he opened his beer. "I don't notice the school breaks so much, now that Bells isn't living here."

I nodded, unsure of what to say.

"So, have you all had your celebration yet?"

I shook my head. "No. But I'm sure Aunt Alice has something planned."

He grinned. "I'll bed she does. Say, where is she? I haven't seen her this time around."

"She's at the house," I said. "I'll tell her to come by."

"Thanks."

He fell silent to allow us to eat in peace, although I could feel him still watching me. I tried to ignore his staring and concentrate on my food, but that was yet another disadvantage to having superhuman senses – it was almost impossible to _not_ notice.

Jacob finished long before me and busied himself with filling the silence with topical chatter – the weather, the state of the economy, baseball, football and other random topics that I only partially paid attention to. I was grateful for his ability to fill the lull. I'd never been the best at conversations.

When I finished, I volunteered to wash the dishes, only to meet vehement protests from Grandpa Charlie.

"You're a guest," he said, rising to collect our dishes. "Besides, I don't get to see you all that often. I don't want you to waste your time on dish-washing."

"Thank you," I mumbled, my face heating again.

The conversation continued easily for another half hour before Jacob rose.

"Well, we should get a move on. The gang's probably back by now, I was kind of hoping to debrief Leah. She crashed before I had a chance to talk to her yesterday."

I shot a worried glance at Grandpa Charlie, who was pretending that he hadn't heard anything.

Jacob caught my glance and shrugged dismissively.

I rolled my eyes.

"Well, if you must," Grandpa Charlie said, rising. He hugged me tightly. "Say hi to Bells and Edward for me, and Alice and Carlisle while you're at it. Love you, kid."

"Love you too, Grandpa Charlie." I willed myself to stop blushing, but, of course, to no avail.

"See ya when I see ya, Charlie," Jacob said, hugging him next.

Grandpa Charlie stiffened for a moment, and then patted Jacob's back awkwardly. "Er, you too, Jacob. Take good care of her."

"You know it." Jacob took my hand once more and we left the house.

I glanced over my shoulder to see him standing by the front door, waving at us. I waved back and half-smiled. I wondered when we would see him next. I would have to make a point of at least calling him more regularly.

"That was nice," Jacob commented, swinging my hand as we walked.

"Yeah," I agreed. The success of our second visit only added to my floating feeling.

As soon as we were out of sight of the house, we circled back and entered the forest that backed every yard on Grandpa Charlie's side of the street. Once we were deep into the forest, he scooped me up and took off once more. I stared at his face as we ran, completely and blissfully unaware of the icy rain drops that pelted us.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

Our time in Forks passed much too quickly. It included several awkward trips into town to see Mom's old friends, and one more trip to see Grandpa Charlie, Aunt Alice included this time, to his delight.

Mom, Aunt Rose, Uncle Emmett, Emily and I drove back in Grandpa Carlisle's car. We'd had to reconfigure the driving arrangements because Tara still vehemently refused to speak to Emily, and had actually refused to even be in the same car as her sister. To my knowledge, Emily and Rob still weren't speaking, although Ian seemed to be over his anger, thankfully.

I had hoped that Jacob would come with us, but Dad had refused before I'd even been able to complete the thought. I could tell that Dad wasn't in the mood to be hassled, as could Jake. He'd spent the past two days complaining that we were too "co-dependent". Like he was one to talk. He'd had Jake ride back up with him so that they could have a "chat". I'd instantly been worried for Jacob's health, but Dad had assured me that he'd long since "ameliorated his harmful intentions towards Jacob", but that still wasn't assurance enough to keep me from worrying. Even if he didn't harm Jacob, there was more than a slight possibility that he could end up scaring him away.

Emily interrupted my thoughts. "Okay, Emmett, Bella, Rosalie, Alice has equipped me with a good dozen packs of contacts for each of you, and I have assurances from the Weather Network that we aren't going to see a single ray of sunshine. Alice did try to look for me, but Nessie, Jacob, Tara and I were a bit of an obstacle," she said sheepishly. "Anyway, be sure to warn me if you're going to need a new pair."

"Thanks, Em," Mom smiled.

"Thank you," Aunt Rose echoed.

"You're the best, tiny Canadian," Uncle Emmett said over his shoulder.

She rolled her eyes. "No problem, Bella and Rosalie."

Uncle Emmett chuckled.

"This, Nessie, is for you," she said, withdrawing a blood packet from her purse. "I can tell that you're thirsty."

I winced slightly at the flame that burst to life in my throat. I raised an eyebrow. "What _do_ you keep in there?"

"You never know," she said defensively. "It's best to be prepared. It's not for me, anyway. Rob and Ian get crave-y."

"_Sure_ it's not, Emily," I smirked.

She shook her head and gave me a look of exasperation. "You're welcome, Nessie."

I laughed. "Thanks, Emily. And how did you know I was thirsty?"

She shrugged. "I can just tell. Your eyes don't change colour like Tara's and mine, but I've been around enough half-breeds that it's become fairly easy to tell."

I blinked in shock. "Your eyes change colour?" Even as I asked the question, I realized that I'd been seeing it for as long as I'd known them. And yet I'd never noticed mine change, ever.

"Well, not entire _colours_, really," she said. "They just gradually shade darker. I'm not entirely sure why. It could simply be hereditary."

So much was unknown about half-vampirism. Emily had been explaining to me what she knew about being a half-vampire over the months that they'd been staying with us. She knew so much about us, about what we were. She knew more than I ever would. But, by the same token, I hoped we wouldn't learn much more. I knew the cost of her education.

"What're you worrying about?" asked Mom, glancing at me.

I glanced at her. "Dad and Jacob."

"I wish Edward would get over his civility," Aunt Rose muttered. "I'd love to see–"

"Aunt Rose…"

She fell silent.

Mom sighed and wrapped her arm around me. "Dealing with parents and the guy you love sucks. Trust me, I remember."

I couldn't deny that. But at least she hadn't had to deal with a telepathic father.

We rode in silence for a long time, music playing softly in the background. I couldn't stop thinking about Jacob – well, more specifically Dad and Jacob. We were barely half an hour away from Forks. We had a five-and-a-half hour drive ahead of us – if Uncle Emmett didn't speed, that was, which, knowing Uncle Emmett, was unlikely. He – most unwillingly – had surrendered his Lamborghini to Dad and Jacob, while Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper took her Porsche. Tara, Grandpa Carlisle and Grandma Esme had gone with Rob in his car, while Ian took Jacob's car.

"Oh, we all live in a yellow submarine, yellow submarine, yellow submarine, we all live in a yellow submarine," Uncle Emmett sang. "Come on, guys! Sing with me!"

Emily massaged her temples and sighed. "Please stop."

"You've got to loosen up, mini Canuck!" he said. "Come on! Yellow submarine, yellow submarine…"

I stopped listening after that.

Emily shook her head. "I knew I should have gone with Ian."

"Why not with Rob?" I asked.

"Because Robin isn't speaking to me," she said with a humourless chuckle. "He doesn't get over things very easily."

No exaggeration there.

She laughed again. "But then you knew that."

I shrugged, unable to think of anything else to say. Rob seemed like a decent guy. He was just…angry.

I stared out the windshield and sighed, wishing more than anything that we would be home soon.

Emily's phone rang suddenly, interrupting my thoughts. I read Grandpa Carlisle's name on the display screen.

"Carlisle?" she said, opening the phone. I studied her as she listened. Humour twitched her lips upwards into a smile. She nodded several times, and then said, "I will, Dad. Yes, I'll tell him. Yes, I promise. All right." She flipped it shut. "Emmett, Carlisle wants us to break at the next rest stop."

"Why?" he asked.

"He's concerned that I'm not getting enough sustenance. Apparently Ian ratted me out." She rolled her eyes again. "He also wants you to stop blasting The Beatles. He doesn't want to have to replace the car stereo. Again."

I cringed, remembering that Dad would probably want me to eat something to. I glanced at the blood packet in my hands and tore the top off quickly. I tried to savour it, but I ended up chugging it out of fear of an even more severe punishment than the one that my father had already formulated for me.

"You're lucky he can't read my mind," Mom said, gesturing to the now-empty packet.

I smiled angelically. "I love you, Momma."

She smiled in spite of herself. "Mmhmm."

I laid my head against her shoulder and pulled out my MP3 player once more to drown out the sound of my uncle's deliberate off-key singing. I marvelled at Aunt Rose's patience.

After Emily, Tara, Jacob and I had been fed to Grandpa Carlisle's satisfaction, we began driving again, this time with Emily in Ian's car. She'd vowed that she'd jump out of the car if she had to listen to Uncle Emmett's braying for another mile.

I fell asleep on the way back, and before I knew what was happening, Mom was waking me. A jolt of sheer elation shot through me at the sight of our towering three-storey house. It was still the same four-floored structure that had become so familiar, but this homecoming felt different. _I_ felt different.

I met Jacob in the driveway. His smile matched mine as we walked hand-in-hand towards the house. Now my world was perfect.

"We're home," I said to myself.

"At last," he said.

* * *

We resumed school the following day, which also happened to be Emily's three hundred and third birthday. It passed with a moderate celebration, planned entirely by Aunt Alice and Grandma Esme. Rob and Tara seemed no closer to folding than they had in Forks. Fortunately for me, Aunt Alice had given her a present on mine, Mom and Dad's behalf, as I'd entirely forgotten about her birthday.

Days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to months. The Winters had surprised us all in mid-March by announcing that they would be moving back to their own home, despite our vehement protests. In Rob's words, they needed time to "recuperate as a foursome" before they would once again be able to "effectively contribute to the family collective". He and Tara still had not forgiven Emily for attempting to sacrifice herself, which had led to more than a little tension. However, they'd patched things up by early May, and moved back in with us most happily. Tara was still moderately upset, but the rest of them had decided that they missed us far too much to stay away any longer. The feeling had been more than mutual. I'd become so accustomed to having the Winters with us all the time. Having our family separated in such a way was uncomfortable.

As the months flew by, I kept a clock in my head, silently counting down the days until Jacob would be forever mine. Aunt Alice, Grandma Esme, Emily and Aunt Rose took over planning our nuptials, which, most happily for Jacob and me, left nothing for us to do. The very idea of planning a wedding sent me running.

"So," said Aunt Alice, pulling up a chair across from me one Saturday morning in mid-June. "We need your opinion on something."

"Oh dear," I muttered as Emily slid into the chair beside her, a coffee in hand.

"None of that," Aunt Alice said sharply. "I get enough of that from your mother. Now then, we need to talk about prom."

I blanched. "You…you want to talk about _what_?"

"_Prom_, Renesmee," Aunt Alice said slowly. "P-r-o-m. The most significant school event of the year? Is any of this ringing a bell?"

I felt myself grow cold. "You want me to go to…to _prom_?" I said, my voice breaking slightly on the last word.

"Oh, don't look at me like that!" Aunt Alice said exasperatedly. "It's a school prom, Nessie, not a satanic ritual."

I buried my face in my hands.

"Such melodrama," she said disapprovingly. "We needed to ask you what colour you and Jacob are planning to wear so we can choose your outfits."

"Not to mention your after-prom party attire," Emily put in.

Aunt Alice looked at Emily and sighed. "I missed you so much."

Emily returned her smile.

I rolled my eyes.

"It's so nice to have someone able to read my mind again. Well, aside from Edward," Aunt Alice said. "Now then, Renesmee, there are two ways that we can do this: we can do this the nice way, which is the way you definitely won't like, or we can do this the hard way, which is the way you will like even less."

"Totally up to you," Emily said, drinking her coffee.

I sighed resignedly. Trying to stop them was like trying to stop a hurricane – no matter how much you hoped they wouldn't hit you, they'd inevitably find you and bend you to their will.

"What did you two have in mind?"

Aunt Alice beamed at me and looked at Emily. "Didn't I tell you? Didn't I tell you that she had a fashionable bone in there somewhere? She's not beyond reason! This is good to know. So, we were thinking red for you and Jacob."

"Something memorable," Emily agreed.

"Since it is your first prom," she said.

"There will be many more to come, of course," she said.

"But you only go to prom for the first time once," Aunt Alice finished.

I shuddered. Wonderful. Now they were finishing each other's sentences. One Aunt Alice had been enough for me. I loved my little aunt, but how I would handle having two of them, I was sure I had no idea. "So what do you want from me?" I asked warily.

"Well, your approval, of course," Emily said.

"Of course, we'll continue even if you don't," Aunt Alice said.

"Because we're morally bound to," Emily interjected.

"But your approval would be a nice added bonus."

I swallowed. "Okay."

Aunt Alice blinked in shock. "O-Okay? Just like that?"

"Well it's not like I can stop you."

"Well, yes, that's true, but you don't even have any conditions? No demand for veto power? No tragic plea for mercy?"

I shook my head.

"You are the world's greatest niece, Nessie." Aunt Alice flashed around the table to hug me, and then turned back to Emily. "Come on. We've work to do."

Emily shot me a smile and then flashed up the stairs after Aunt Alice.

I sighed hopelessly. I needed Jacob.

I found him playing a videogame with Uncle Emmet and Ian in the den. Tara sat against the wall, reading a book. Mom and Aunt Rose were beside her, watching the game with mild interest. Rob sat in an armchair against the other wall, reading a magazine.

I dropped onto the couch beside Jacob and snuggled up against him with a weary sigh.

He chuckled and wrapped an arm around me. "Alice?" he guessed.

"And Emily."

"Is she bothering you?" asked Ian. "Because I still owe her a slap, one that I would be more than–"

"Ian," Rob said warningly.

He smirked, but wisely stopped talking.

"So what's she trying to get you into now?" he asked. "Wedding stuff?"

I shuddered and forced myself to speak the word, "Prom."

"Prom? We're going to prom?"

Uncle Emmett boomed a laugh. "Is that even a question? Don't you know Alice at _all_?"

"Or my sister, for that matter," Ian laughed.

"She wants us to wear red," I told Jacob despairingly.

"Let's just elope," Jacob suggested.

"I did not just hear that," Dad said from the next room over.

I cringed.

Jacob chuckled. "Hear what, Ed?"

"Exactly."

"_Isabella Marie Cullen!_"

Everyone started at the sound of Aunt Alice's ear-splitting shriek. I glanced at Mom, who was already cringing.

"Now, Alice, Emily," Dad said pleadingly, appearing in the doorway to block my terrifying little aunt from entering. "Be serious. There's no–"

"Quiet, Edward," Aunt Alice snapped, pushing past him with Emily at her side. "Isabella!" she snarled at Mom, who shrank back instinctively with a sheepish look on her face. "I give you a closet _bursting_ with wonderful, amazing clothes. I even take the time to tutor you in the ways of fashion. And _this_ is how you would repay my pains?"

Emily passed her a pair of black sweat pants, and then folded her arms, glaring murderously.

Aunt Alice held them away from herself with two fingers. "We try and we try and we try with you people, but you never listen!" She threw the sweat pants at Mom, who caught them guiltily. She rounded on Dad, who was chuckling quietly along with Uncle Emmett. "Don't you dare laugh, Edward. I know you enable her." Aunt Alice glanced at Emily.

Emily nodded and flashed across the room to seize Mom suddenly. "Come with us," she said gruffly. As if she had a choice.

Dad and I exchanged glances and then followed after them. The rest of the family came as well, most of them chuckling quietly.

Emily dragged Mom up to the living room and stopped her in front of the fireplace. She snatched the sweats back from Mom. "Now then, Alice, the lighter, if you please."

Mom's eyes widened. "What? No! They're com–"

"You're a vampire, for mercy's sake!" Aunt Alice exclaimed. "You have skin of stone! Do not give me the comfort line! Besides, comfort is irrelevant in fashion."

Mom's eyes narrowed. "No."

Everyone winced simultaneously.

Aunt Alice's glare reached a whole new level of terrifying. "Oh, you will," she said menacingly. "Or I will make the next century a living hell for you."

"Burn the pants, Bella. Do the right thing," Emily said solemnly. "Please. For your own sake."

"I'll take you lingerie shopping in Paris," Aunt Alice hissed. "With Emmett."

"Oh, that is mean," I muttered. No one could have resisted such an ultimatum.

Uncle Emmett roared with laughter. "Sweet!"

Aunt Rose cleared her throat slightly and gave him a look.

Uncle Emmett's laughter cut off instantly. "Or…not."

Mom shuddered and grabbed the lighter. With a heavy sigh, she lit the pants on fire and threw them into the fireplace to burn. She watched them burn as though she were at the cremation of a lifelong friend.

Aunt Alice patted Mom's back. "Thank you, Bella," she and Emily said together.

"Now then," Emily said brightly. "Did I see that you people were playing a videogame?"

"Want to join us?" asked Uncle Emmett, grinning.

"Please," she said.

Mom sighed and turned away from the smouldering remains of her sweatpants and followed the rest of us back to the den.

I wrapped an arm around her. "Sorry, Momma."

She shrugged. "There's always the other three," she whispered beneath her breath.

I grinned at her. I was lucky that they hadn't found mine yet.

We made our way back into the den and resumed our places. The video gamers had already restarted their match, with Emily and Rob playing now. I sat down between Rob and Jacob and watched. I'd always been dreadful at video games, to my uncle's despair.

Uncle Emmett leaned forward towards the TV screen. "What's that flashing green light?"

Ian glanced over. "Oh, that? That's the bomb that I attached to your transport."

Jacob, Emily and I burst out laughing.

Uncle Emmett's character blew up presently. He cursed loudly. "What the hell, McMaster?"

Ian chuckled evilly. "Don't fret about it. You'll reincarnate in a few seconds."

Uncle Emmett watched carefully as his character came back to life.

"Now!" Ian boomed.

Rob, Emily and Jacob's characters swarmed Uncle Emmett's freshly resurrected character and unleashed a hail of bullet fire upon him.

"No! _NO_!" Uncle Emmett screamed in horror as his character succumbed to his extensive injuries. He whirled around to glare at Emily. "Thanks a _lot_ for your help!"

Rob tossed her a twenty dollar bill. "You're the best wife ever."

She grinned and pocketed the money. "Love you too."

Uncle Emmett's head whipped back in forth as he took in their matching smirks. "You _betrayed_ me!" he raved.

"Yes, I did," she said. "That was for your distasteful comment about my telepathic connection with Tara."

I grimaced. I didn't want to know.

He spluttered with outrage. "That was last week!"

"Half-vampires never forget."

He glared at her and shook his head wordlessly.

I chuckled. He was one of the sorest losers I'd ever met.

"Want to try, Ness?" asked Jacob.

"No, no! Do _not_ weaken our team anymore than already it is! We already have to make up for having Emily on our team."

Emily and I hit him in unison.

"Well," said Aunt Alice later that evening. "Everyone who is able needs to sleep well tonight."

"Why's that?" I asked, frowning.

"Because tomorrow, Nessie, is a very important day in your life, arguably the most important, aside from your wedding."

I waited for her to elaborate.

"Tomorrow is prom!" she said exasperatedly. "Does no one read the school flyers?"

I sighed. I knew better than to argue with her. I cast a pleading look at Jacob.

"Don't look at him," Aunt Alice said, catching my glance. "He's not going to save you. This is your first prom, Renesmee, and you are going, one way or another. You might even enjoy yourself if you gave it a try instead of being so _Bella-ish_."

"Hey," Mom protested.

"Bella, you know I love you, but it wouldn't kill you to enjoy yourself at a party now and then," Aunt Alice said, looking at Mom.

Mom and I rolled our eyes.

"I even have your dresses already picked out," Aunt Alice said. "I didn't even make you go shopping."

"Dress_es_?" I asked.

"Yes," she said. "Your prom and after-prom dress."

I tried to keep myself from grimacing too visibly. I'd forgotten about the after-prom party. "Why is this necessary, anyway?"

"Nessie, one day when you're all grown up and a few centuries old, you will thank me for this," Aunt Alice said.

"Don't count on it," I mumbled.

"If you continue to grouch before you go, you will only make it worse for yourself," Aunt Alice said.

"Give it a chance, Ness. You might even like it," Emily said.

I sighed. I would tolerate it.

* * *

My eyes widened as I stared at the dress that Aunt Alice was holding out in front of me. I took a breath to calm myself. "Oh," I managed to say.

Aunt Alice looked at me expectantly. "Well? Are you thrilled yet?"

I bit my lip. "Um…what's the correct response here?"

"The correct response would be, 'Yes, Aunt Alice, I positively adore the exquisite garment that you so painstakingly chose for me and I am undyingly grateful to you for taking such care in choosing it for me.' You might even add something in about my unfailing fashion prowess or my incredible genius."

I looked at the dress for another moment. "Thank you, Aunt Alice," I forced myself to say. "It's great."

Emily rolled her eyes, detecting my lie. "Just put it on."

I took the dress and retreated to my room to change into it. It was a long red number that flowed to the floor. There was black lacing on the bodice and some black flowers towards the bottom. It wasn't bad, per se, but it wasn't something that I ever would have worn of my own volition. But I would make an appearance for Aunt Alice's sake, and for her sake alone. I hoped Jacob would like it.

I mustered my courage and left my room to return to our massive bathroom where Aunt Alice had all of the hair-styling implements already heating. The counter was littered in expensive-looking beauty products.

"Oh," Emily said, her hand flying to her throat. "You look amazing, Nessie." She hugged me. "We chose well, Alice."

"Yes we did," she said, looking me over. "Very well."

They both looked quite spectacular themselves. Emily's dress was gold, with a small train. It was clearly expensive. It didn't look like a typical prom dress, from what little I knew of prom dresses from television shows and movies. Aunt Alice's looked just as ridiculously lavish. Hers was a flowing red number, with a thin black belt at the waist.

I shook my head. "Wow, guys."

"What?" Emily asked, glancing down at herself. "Is something wrong?" she asked, scrutinizing herself.

"No," I said sourly. She and Aunt Alice looked utterly perfect.

She laughed. "Sit," she said, directing me to a chair. She pushed me into it and then started on my hair. It was elaborately arranged within half an hour. While she worked with my hair, Aunt Rose painted my face with meticulous care. Mom and Tara were hiding in the corner, trying to avoid Aunt Alice as she tried to decide which of them to victimize next.

We were ready an hour before prom was due to begin. I felt strangely nervous, as irrational as I knew that was.

Once Aunt Alice had gone over everyone and made sure that we were all as perfect as she could make us, she had us follow her down the stairs to the main entrance where our dates were waiting. My eyes found Jacob immediately. He looked as stunning as ever in his black tux and red vest to match my dress. He smiled as soon as his eyes found mine.

"Well, well, well," he said. "You look absolutely lovely, Miss Cullen."

I smiled. "Oh stop, Jake."

"You do!" he said, his eyes drifting over me.

"Let's just get this over with," I said.

"Agreed," he said.

I took his arm and followed him outside.

"Whoa, whoa," Aunt Alice said, flashing in front of us. "You two are going with Emily and Rob."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because we don't want you two making a run for it at the last second," Emily informed me.

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Your trust in us is overwhelming, Bite-Size."

Emily hissed and shot an accusing glare at Ian, who was roaring with laughter. "Do _not_ call me that," she ordered Jacob.

I frowned. Where on earth had 'Bite-Size' come from?

"That's what Ian here told me to call her," Jacob answered. He grinned as he looked at the irate Emily. "And now I can see why."

"I don't get it, though," I said. "'Bite-Size'?"

"It's a long story," Emily said dismissively.

"One which I would be more than happy to tell you," Rob grinned as we walked towards his car.

Emily glared at him. He pretended not to notice.

"You know how we met them, don't you?" he said as we got in.

"Yeah," Jacob said. "You tried to drain 'em."

"Yes," Rob chuckled. "And she wasn't nearly as…well-behaved then as she is now," he said, looking affectionately at his mate. "At any rate," Rob said, chortling at her irritated expression. "She was quite hostile towards us at first. It was during this time that she came up with nicknames for us. She called me 'Lilliputian' and she began to call Ian 'Mutant'."

I laughed. "She called _you_ 'Lilliputian'?"

"Well he's a lot shorter than Ian," Emily said defensively. "And Ian _is_ a mutant. He's freakishly tall."

"Eh!" Jacob said. "Six-foot-seven here."

"You're half-werewolf. It's a bit of a different story."

He conceded to that point. "So where did the 'Bite-Size' thing come from, then?"

"That was me," Rob said. "It was her nickname for years, but she insisted that I drop it when we became engaged. So Ian took it instead."

"It's too good of a nickname to be dropped," Jacob agreed.

We arrived at the same banquet hall that'd served as the location for the winter formal before the rest of our family. Jacob and Rob both jumped up as soon as we parked to open the doors for Emily and me.

I smiled at Jacob. "You're getting really good at this whole mannerly, suave gentleman thing," I teased.

"Oh please, Nessie. I'm a natural."

I laughed and took his hand. We waited for everyone else.

Ian and Tara came first. I sighed enviously as Tara got out of the car. Her long silver dress flowed elegantly around her tall, lean frame. Her auburn waves were curled carefully and spread over her shoulders. Aunt Alice had even forced her to wear make-up.

Someone whistled from nearby. Tara blushed instantly.

I grinned as she came to stand with us. "You earned it," I told her. "You look amazing."

"What did I tell you?" Emily said, elbowing her sister.

"Let's just get this over with," Tara muttered, her face going progressively redder.

Everyone else drove up a moment later. I tried to ignore the stares and appreciative murmurs that we merited from the humans that we passed. I could now understand Tara's discomfort.

"Ah, prom," Mom said as we stepped through the doors. Music blared from the speakers set up strategically around the room while students danced on the densely-crowded dance floor. "I didn't really miss it. At all."

Dad sighed and looked at her. "I did," he said, his eyes sweeping over her. "If only to see you like this."

I gagged and fled with Jacob. We hid out in one of the few corners that weren't already occupied by wary-looking teachers and watched the chaos on the dance floor. My family melted into the throng almost instantly. I would catch a glimpse of them from time to time as they gracefully moved through the crush of swaying teenagers.

"Want to dance?" Jacob asked after several moments. "You know Alice is going to make us anyway."

I shrugged and nodded. "Might as well beat her to the punch." We moved out onto the dance floor just in time to receive an approving smile from Aunt Alice as she and Uncle Jasper whirled effortlessly past us.

The song changed presently to a slow dance. I gazed up at Jacob's handsome face and once more lost myself in his dark eyes. The room disappeared from around us as we swayed slowly to the tempo. I couldn't imagine loving him more than I did in that moment.

"So, just a few more months," Jacob murmured.

I nodded. "It still feels like an eternity, though."

"Yeah," he agreed. "But we have eternity."

I smiled. "Yes we do."

I wasn't sure how much time had passed when a blonde-haired girl in a green satin dress stepped up to the microphone beside DJ table on the podium to announce the names of the prom king and queen nominees.

"For prom king, we have Will Dawson, Jeff Whitman, Michael Malone, Dan Rodriguez and Jacob Black," she said, a round of applause and a flurry of cheers following each name (although I might have sworn I heard Ian cursing after Jeff's name).

My jaw dropped.

"I'm not here," Jacob said, shifting back towards the corner.

"Come on, Jacob!" the girl said, clapping.

I looked up at him. "Might as well."

He sighed. "Prom sucks." He murmured oaths as he walked towards the podium.

"And the nominees for prom queen are Melina Farelle, Selene O'Hara, Rosalie Hale, Sarah Daniels and Jana Markov."

My shock intensified. How had Aunt Rose been nominated? We were probably the most uninvolved students in the entire school. We kept exclusively to ourselves, and we'd been truant quite a lot over the year. There'd been more sunny days that year than anyone had anticipated. Of course, everyone had ended up with flawless grades nonetheless. School had been the least of my worries this year. It had certainly been an interesting experience. _If Dad hates me having in school this much, I wonder how he'd feel about a college sorority_, I thought wryly.

After several moments of mindless drabble about the nominees, she cleared her throat. "And this year's prom king is," she said as she opened an envelope. "Jacob Black!"

I grinned at the horrified look that flashed across his face. I clapped with everyone else.

Jacob took the crown from the blonde-haired girl with a martyred expression.

"And this year's prom queen is," she opened a second envelope. "Rosalie Hale!"

My jaw dropped. I stared at her in shock for a moment before I burst out laughing. Aunt Rose, who was standing among the nominees, looked at Jacob with a revolted expression. She attempted to pass the crown off to the disgustingly over-zealous Melina, who stood adjacent her, but the blonde-haired announcer refused to allow her to. Aunt Rosalie glared venomously at the girl for a moment before forcing herself to follow Jacob onto the dance floor for the traditional king/queen first dance.

I glanced at Dad as he came to stand beside me. "So how much did you pay to set this up?"

He smirked slightly. "Am I that transparent?" he asked innocently.

"Yes. How much?"

"It was well worth every cent, I'll tell you that much," he said, chortling wickedly.

"Was this your idea?"

"Mine, Alice's and a little bit of Emmett."

"Of course." I watched as the two tried to fight for control as they spun around the dance floor, hissing and snarling almost inaudibly at each other. I shook my head and tried to keep my laughter muffled. "You've got a little streak of evil, Edward."

"I pride myself on that," he grinned as he watched his handiwork.

"If one of them ends up dead, I'll blame it on you, you know."

He smiled. "They'll regenerate."

When the dance ended, Aunt Rose stormed off the dance floor. She stopped in front of Dad and glowered at him with a terrifying expression. "You _will_ regret this Edward."

"Oh, I seriously doubt that," Dad laughed.

Her eyes narrowed. She spun on her heel and stalked off after Uncle Emmett, muttering curses.

"Okay, that was a little bit funny," I admitted.

Jacob scowled at me as he approached us. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

I shot him a glittering smile. "You know you can't stay angry at me."

He sighed, the anger evaporating from his expression. "It's so unfair."

My smile widened. "Come on, your Highness."

He rolled his eyes and walked with me back to the dance floor. The moment I was in his arms again, I forgot everything else entirely. We stared at each other as we moved around the dance floor. I was barely even aware of the music that guided our steps. I wondered in the back of my mind how many times the music had changed. It could have been years – I wouldn't have noticed, or cared.

"Can I ask something?" Jacob asked softly.

"Of course," I said.

He was silent for a moment. "Why'd you go to the Volturi?"

I blinked. "You know why."

"Not really," he said, smiling sheepishly.

I thought for a moment, trying to think of how best to describe my motives. "Jake, I…I don't really know," I said, chuckling. "I don't know why I thought it would work, I just knew that I had to do something. The idea of them killing everyone, of killing _you_…I couldn't handle that. For some reason, I thought that they might let all of you go if they killed me."

He winced.

"Of everyone, I'm the only one that hasn't done anything worthy of their interference. But I really don't know what made me think that there was any chance that they'd go for it. It was stupid and I'm more sorry than you can imagine, Jake. I know I worried you."

He laughed darkly. "Nessie, 'worry' does not even begin to _get close _to how much I was freaking out."

I bit my lip. "Sorry."

"You're here now. That's what counts. But seriously, did you think that even if…" He winced again and tried to force himself to speak the word.

"Even if they killed me?"

He grimaced. "Yeah. Even if they killed you and let us go, did you think that we wouldn't go after them?"

"Well, yeah, I thought about it, but would you really do that?"

He stopped dead and studied me with a frown. "What the hell do you mean, 'would you really do that?' Was that even a legit question? Please tell me it wasn't."

I chuckled. "It was a bit of a stupid thing to ask, wasn't it?"

"Just a little bit," he said sarcastically, still frowning. "I'd shred every single one of the filthy Italian leeches before I would ever let them lay one of their creepishly cold fingers on you. I'd kick their butts straight back to Italy. Same goes for anyone else who ever tries to hurt you."

Warmth rushed through my veins. I smiled as we resumed dancing. "I know. And you know I'd do the same."

"And ruin my fun? I think not."

"Oh, so what're you saying?" I teased. "Think I can't protect myself?"

He chuckled. "Nessie, Nessie, Nessie, I _know_ you can't protect yourself. I've seen you fight, remember?" he said jokingly.

"Hey!" I objected, punching his arm. "Not my fault. Tara shocked me."

He laughed. "Sounds like an excuse," he whispered in my ear.

"You're ridiculous."

"This coming from the girl who burst into tears when I proposed to her!"

"_Overwhelmed_," I reminded him.

He laughed again and pressed his lips to mine lightly.

My heart stopped.

He drew back after a moment. "Oxygen is a good thing, Nessie."

"Right," I gasped, grateful for the reminder to breathe.

He grinned. "Dazzled?"

"Beyond belief."

His grin widened. "Mission accomplished."

"Unfair," I murmured, my thoughts still thoroughly jumbled.

"Ridiculous," he said fondly.

I laughed airily.

"Do you want to know who's really dazzling tonight, though?"

I knew who he was talking about, but pretended not to. I glanced around the dimly-lit dance floor. "I'd say Aunt Rose, but…" She was several degrees beyond spectacular in her white dress, her blonde hair cascading down her back in perfect curls.

He made an overly-exaggerated gagging noise. "Augh! Please, Nessie! I don't want to barf on the dance floor. I'd hate to think of Blondie getting it on her fancy little shoes."  
I laughed at that image.

"I was talking about you, which I know you knew," he said. His eyes drifted over me.

I blushed.

"Just…_wow_."

I shook my head. "It's not like you could be objective anyway. I still remember your little cake-and-candy analogy."

He smiled. "Okay, I'll give you that one."

"Me, on the other hand, I can be totally objective in saying that you are by far the hottest guy here," I said. "You should wear tuxes more often."

He glanced at himself. "I'm not much of a monkey-suit person, but I'm glad you like it."

"'Like' doesn't cover the half of it."

He rolled his eyes dismissively.

I giggled and wrapped my arms around him, laying my forehead against his chest. He wrapped his arms around my waist and held me for a long time. I wasn't sure how much time had passed when I heard Mom and Dad approaching.

"So, how're you liking your first prom so far, Jake?" Mom asked him.

"So far it's pretty freaking awesome, minus the little prom king incident. I'm never going to forgive you for that, Edward."

I heard Dad chuckle.

"What about you, Ness?" Mom asked, touching my back with her cool hand.

I lifted my head unwillingly. "Well," I said, glancing at my date. "It's…well, it's pretty freaking awesome."

All three laughed.

Prom ended much too soon for my liking. We drove straight to the Winters' house from the banquet hall. It struck me as odd that in the better part of a year of friendship, none of us had ever seen their home.

"Yeah, that is weird," Jacob, who held my hand, agreed.

"What is?" Emily asked.

"We've known the four of you for like, a year, and we've never seen your place," Jacob said.

Emily shrugged. "We were hesitant to return for the first few months after we took up residence with all of you. I tried to return every fortnight or so to clean, of course, but I feared that more of the Volturi would arrive and attempt once more to apprehend us."

Jacob raised an eyebrow. "When were you born again?"

"1711," she said. "Why do you ask?"

"'Cuz sometimes you still sound like it."

Rob and I chuckled.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly. "Some of my diction is still a touch antiquated, isn't it?"

"Just a touch," Jacob snorted.

The Winters' house was nearly as secluded as ours. I knew it the moment I saw it. It was a colossal two-storey masterpiece of architecture tucked back in the trees. The front of the house was mostly windows, although it didn't have quite as many as our house. All in all, it was nothing short of magnificent.

Clearly someone had been back to decorate. The rooms were dark, but I could see random flashes of red light coming from the front room. Apparently Aunt Alice had lent them our strobe light.

"If you need to get into any of the rooms, just fetch Alice, Rob, Ian, Tara or me. All of the doors have been locked for fairly obvious reasons."

"Gotcha," I said, grimacing.

"Jacob, I would be much obliged if you would join Ian and Emmett as this evening's security detail. We've already locked everything of value in our rooms, but you know how it is," she said as we walked towards the house.

"Do I get to use force?" he asked eagerly.

"Only if you deem it necessary."

"You rock, Bite-Size."

I smirked and glanced at Emily.

I heard her curse Ian beneath her breath. "This is your fault," she muttered to Rob.

He laughed quietly to himself.

"Come on, wolf-boy," Emily said, sighing as she unlocked the front door. "I'll show you what I'd like you to keep an eye on."

We stepped through the front door to a long hallway, which opened into several large rooms. In the living room to the right of the door was a winding glass staircase leading up to the second level. The house looked like a feature on a design magazine.

The air smelled faintly stale. Someone had opened the windows earlier to attempt to circulate fresh air, but a trace of the still air still lingered, though the Winters' scents were long since erased.

"How long have you guys lived here?" I asked Rob as we wandered through the dark house.

"We bought this plot thirty years ago," Rob said, glancing at me. "This is the second house we've built on it."

"What happened to the first one?"

"It was destroyed in a forest fire. We had planned to remodel it at any rate, so it simply saved us the trouble."

"Is Alice here yet?" Emily called from somewhere below us.

"Not yet, dearest," Rob replied.

"Do tell me when she gets here. She has everyone's change of clothes."

I shuddered, not even daring to imagine what they'd chosen for my party dress.

"So, did you enjoy yourself?" Rob asked, leaning against the wall opposite me. "I understand it was your first prom."

"Yeah, it was good," I said. "How many have you guys been to?"

He smiled sheepishly. "This was my twelfth high school prom."

"And are they all like that?"

"More or less. I seem to recall more narcotics during the 1970's proms, however."

I chuckled. "I'll bet."

Aunt Alice arrived then, arms laden with garment bags. She tossed one to me and one to Rob as she passed us.

I took a breath and unzipped mine quickly. It wasn't as terrible I'd envisioned, but it was still bad. The dress was fairly similar to the one I was already wearing, but shorter and more…party-ish.

Rob chuckled at something in my expression. "I'll unlock one of the rooms for you."

"Or you could shoot me," I suggested.

He laughed.

He unlocked the fifth door on the left of the hall and flicked on the light to reveal a massive bedroom. "This is Emily's and my room. Feel free to borrow anything if you need it. As I'm sure you can imagine, the closet is overflowing with shoes, some of which might be more comfortable," he said, glancing at my ridiculously-high shoes. He gestured to a door. "The bathroom's just there. Can you lock up when you finish?"

"Of course, and thank you," I said, sighing.

"You're quite welcome," he said, shutting the door behind him.

I slipped out of the shoes the moment the door shut. I looked around the room for a moment. Emily's touch was evident. The room was massive, for one. Definitely an Emily thing. Like the rest of the house, it looked like something from the pages of a home decorating magazine.

I wandered over to a massive set of double-doors. I knew what was on the other side even before I opened it. I almost laughed aloud at what I saw on the other side. It was a closet easily the same size as the room itself. One side was clearly Rob's. It was hung with expensive suits from all over the world, judging by the tags. Emily's side was twice as stuffed, naturally. There were easily two hundred pairs of shoes arranged neatly on an organizer against the back wall.

I shuddered. I would leave that particular nightmare for last. I changed into the dress that Aunt Alice had bought for me as slowly as possible. I half-heartedly wondered if I'd be able to get away with hiding out here for the duration of the party. The chances of that ever working were less than zero to one, but I couldn't help but wish.

I hung up my dress and then, with a sigh, turned to the daunting collection of shoes. I found a pair of black flats after a moment of investigation and picked them out. I chose not to think about the lecture that would be waiting for me when Aunt Alice found out that I'd switched my shoes.

A knock sounded on the door. "Nessie, hurry up! We have forty-three seconds before the first guests will arrive!" Aunt Alice's voice said. "Don't make me come in there!"

"Okay, okay!" I said, laying my dress and the shoes on the bed. I waited until I heard her move on before opening the door. I watched her disappear around the corner into the living room and then made my way out of the room carefully. I locked the door behind me and then set off down the hall, trying to locate Jacob's scent.

"Hiding?" asked Tara from behind me.

I shrieked in surprise.

"Sorry, sorry!" she said quickly.

I exhaled. "It's okay. And yeah, I'm trying to."

"Come on," she said. "I'll show you around."

I followed her through the back part of the first level of the house. She showed me her and Ian's room first, and then Rob and Ian's offices, their mini-theatre, the three guest rooms, the study and lastly, Tara's huge, gloriously-stocked library.

"I'd show you around the second floor and downstairs, but Em and Alice are down there right now and, well…"

"Yeah," I shuddered. I looked around the library again. "_Wow_," I said reverently. This put even Grandpa Carlisle's collection to shame. I'd never seen so many books in the same room. "Have you read all of these?" I asked her, awed.

"Most of them," she nodded, looking around.

I ascended the winding staircase leading to the second level slowly, taking in the hundreds of thousands of names on the spines. "_How_?" I asked.

"Well, I do a lot of reading," she said. "And I've been around a while." She chuckled.

"You make me feel old, Scarlet. You call sixty-five years 'a while'?" Ian asked with a playful smile, striding into the room.

"You're not so much older," she pointed out.

"I'm ninety-one."

"Ninety-one," Rob scoffed, joining us as well. "Not even out of double-digits yet."

Ian rolled his eyes. "Just because you're _old_ doesn't mean we're _young_."

"I smell an inherent contradiction," Rob said with false pensiveness.

Tara showed me around the upper level as Rob and Ian play-fought on the lower level.

"You have such an amazing library," I told her.

She smiled. "Thank you. You're welcome to it, you know. You have most of these at your own home." She paused as her mate and her brother slammed into a bookshelf below. "Don't hurt my library, boys."

"Yes, ma'am," Ian grinned, and then hissed as Rob knocked him backwards.

I laughed as I watched them fight below. It was rare to see the brothers cut loose like this. Rob, especially, was almost always serious.

"Cheater," Ian spat.

"Winner," Rob corrected smugly, his arm wrapped tightly around Ian's throat, his teeth inches from his neck.

"Well isn't this just bloody perfect," Emily trilled from the doorway, her arms crossed.

Ian and Rob stopped playing immediately. Tara and I ducked as we tried to hide behind the banister that wrapped around the upper level.

"You two – you _four_! Don't think I can't smell you, Nessie and T. You four are in here playing while I'm facing a crisis of teenagers! Ian!" she barked. "What happened to guarding the basement?"

"Jacob's already doing that. I was just putting Lilliputian back in his place."

Rob elbowed him in the ribs.

"Robin!"

"Yes, Emily?" he said, chagrined.

"Aren't you helping Jasper with the food?"

"I am?"

"Yes. T! Nessie! Stop hiding."

Tara and I exchanged resigned glances and rose.

"The point of a _party_ is to socialize."

"We were socializing–" Tara started to say.

"With _humans_, T."

"She's half-hu–"

"Don't even try it."

Tara sighed and descended the stairs. I followed more slowly. We rushed past the glaring Emily and made our way towards the living room. Music was already blasting. Their scent had permeated the entire house. My throat stung slightly at the smell.

"She gets so intense about these bloody things," Tara said over the deafening boom of the music.

"Does she do many of them?"

"Once every decade or so," she sighed.

I winced.

"Ah! There you are!" Aunt Alice said, seizing my wrist. "Come along, there are plenty of people to meet."

I cast Tara a desperate look.

She shrugged apologetically as Aunt Alice dragged me into the frenzy that had become the Winters' living room. All of the furniture was gone, turning the wooden floor into a dance floor. There was food set up against one wall, which a very bored-looking Rob continually replenished.

"Come on! We must mingle!" Aunt Alice said impatiently, tugging my arm.

And mingle we did. She introduced us to the majority of the people in the room. I hung back and only spoke when spoken to, which, thankfully, was not often. The party wasn't nearly as fun as prom had been.

Halfway through, I managed to escape Aunt Alice and drifted over to Mom and Aunt Rose, who were standing against one of the walls, talking. Aunt Rose smiled as she saw me coming and wrapped an arm around me.

"Is it over yet?" I asked her pleadingly.

Aunt Rose laughed. "I'm afraid not."

I sighed.

Tara joined us towards the end. The conversation was sparse, which I didn't mind. I was lost in memories of prom. I smiled to myself wistfully, meriting more than few disturbed looks from other partiers.

The party mercifully ended an hour later. As I watched Dad and Ian escorted the last of the severely-inebriated partygoers out the door (apparently one of the seniors had brought a case of tequila), I suddenly realized that I hadn't seen Jacob since we'd arrived at the house.

"Where's Jake?" I asked Mom.

"Never you worry," Emily said. "He has to go now, anyway."

I blinked. "What?"

"We're having a sleepover. Well, you, your mother and your aunts are, anyway. We're staying here tonight."

I blinked. "A _sleepover_? Are you kidding me?"

Emily looked at me, surprised. "Why would I joke about a thing like that?"

"Because it's ridiculous? We already live together!"

"But you've never been _here_."

"So?"

"So we're having a sleepover."

"You have a lovely house," Aunt Rose said.

Emily smiled at her, temporarily distracted, for which I was grateful. "Thank you."

"So where are we staying?" asked Mom.

"I'm not sure, exactly," Emily said. "Rob!" she called over her shoulder as she removed dead flowers from a tall, clear vase.

He appeared in the room several seconds later, his eyes fixed on a car magazine. "Yes?" he replied, glancing up.

"Shall we use our room or Tara and Ian's?"

"Use ours. It's a little bigger."

She nodded. "And cleaner."

"Hey!" Ian said from across the room.

Emily made a face at him and then turned back to us. "Just amuse yourselves for a moment. Tara, let's go."

Tara sighed. "Do we have to?"

I blinked in confusion. It took me a moment to remember their shared gift of telepathy.

Emily placed her hands on her hips and gave her half-sister a look.

Tara sighed and followed her as they disappeared up the winding mahogany staircase.

"Where are they going?" Aunt Alice asked Rob, who had lowered himself into an armchair across from us.

"Probably straightening up, replacing the flower arrangements, that sort of thing. She'll want to give you the grand tour," he said, glancing up.

"She's a neat-freak," Ian said, wandering over to read the magazine over his brother's shoulder.

"The fact that I appreciate cleanliness does not make me a freak," Emily said from the second floor.

Ian and Rob exchanged glances and then chuckled.

I looked at Mom. "Do we really have to do a sleepover?" I asked, glancing at Aunt Alice, who was admiring the layout of the room, to make sure that she hadn't heard me. "I mean, we already live together. It's not like a sleepover is any novelty. They sleep at our house every night."

Mom smiled. "You know I agree with you, but they just want to celebrate your engagement, and Emily's already gone to all this work. Let's just grin and bear it."

I sighed heavily and nodded. She was right, of course. I knew how much Aunt Alice loved doing things like sleepovers. From as far back as I could remember, Aunt Alice had done everything in her power to make me accustomed to feminine, humanistic activities. As a very young child, I'd liked it, but as I'd grown and become more like my mom, I had started to find them tiresome, to her despair. But I knew that she would never stop trying, and unfortunately for me, all she had was time. _I'll have to talk to Jacob about moving out,_ I thought.

"Would anyone mind if I just showed myself the house?" Aunt Alice asked Rob and Ian.

"No, not at all," Rob said, glancing up warily in the direction in which Emily had disappeared. "In fact, Edward, Emmett, Jasper and Jacob, how would you guys like us to show you the more interesting parts?"

"Absolutely not," Emily's voice said from the upper floor.

Rob and Ian winced instantly and muttered oaths.

"You are _so_ not burying yourselves in the games room," she said, appearing on the stairs, arms crossed over her chest.

"No one said anything about burying," Ian said innocently.

"We just want to amuse them while you and Tara finish up," Rob said.

"Oh," she said, her voice changing to a sickeningly-sweet tone. "Well then while you're at it, why don't you reacquaint yourself with the couch, Robin? Because that's where you're going to be for the next while if you take them to the games room."

Rob's smile disappeared.

Ian burst out laughing. "Sucks to be you, big brother."

"What's so funny, Ian?" said Tara, appearing beside her sister. "Because as I recall, we have at least two couches and Rob's only going to need one."

Rob smirked as Ian gave Tara a wounded look. "Sucks to be you, little brother."

Everyone laughed.

"Anyway, you have to go."

"Why?" Ian asked, confused.

Rob sighed. "She's decided to kick everyone with a Y chromosome out of the house for the evening."

"She didn't tell me that," Ian said.

"Are you deaf? I just did!" she called after him as she and Tara returned to the second level.

Ian rolled his eyes.

"Hurry up!" Emily said impatiently.

"Good night to you too, little sister," Ian said sarcastically.

"That's 'big sister' to you, Mutant."

I chuckled as the bantering continued and wandered around the house in search of Jacob. I found him on the lawn at the front of the house, trying to escape a slightly-drunk Melina.

"Are you sure you're not single?" she asked, her words slurring together.

My hands clenched into fists automatically.

"Um…yeah. Just… a lot," Jacob said. "Edward!" he called pleadingly.

Dad chuckled and shook his head. "Work it out for yourself."

"Allow me," I said in a sinister tone. I marched across the lawn and seized Melina's wrist as a taxi pulled up to the house.

"Ah," Dad said. "Just in time."

I opened the door and shoved Melina in, "accidentally" knocking her head against the top of the car as I did so.

"Ow!" she mumbled drunkenly.

"Nessie," Dad said disapprovingly.

"Don't try to tell me you wouldn't have done the same thing to Mike Newton."

He opened his mouth to reply and then closed it.

I smirked and made my way over to Jacob. "It's finally over!"

He chuckled. "Finally."

"Did you hear that you're all getting kicked out?"

"Yeah, Edward mentioned it."

I sighed and played with his tie for a moment.

"Jacob," Dad said as the rest of the men filed out of the house. "Come along."

He kissed me quickly. "See you tomorrow."

I certainly hoped so. I would never forgive Emily if she turned this into a two-day ordeal.

"Renesmee!"

I glanced towards the house. Emily was standing in the doorway, watching me.

"Come inside! It's time!"

I exhaled and then flashed across the lawn into the house. This was going to be a long night.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

When I re-entered the living room, all of the furniture had been returned to its original place. I glanced around at the scrupulously-designed room. "Your handiwork, I trust?" I said to Emily.

She nodded. "Mostly, yes. Tara helped as well. She has an excellent eye, but she hates shopping. I can never get her to come with me when I go to buy accessories."

Aunt Alice sighed. "I will never be able to understand that."

"Nor me," Emily agreed.

I shuddered. Thankfully, Mom and I had been able to get out of house-shopping thus far, but with eternity stretching out before us, our chances of getting out of it entirely were rather grim.

"Well, would you all like to see the house?" Emily asked.

"Of course!" Aunt Alice said brightly.

"You haven't already seen it?" I asked.

"Unlike _some_, Alice was quite busy helping me with the party," Emily said accusingly.

I felt a slight twinge of guilt. It was enough to bring a burst of colour to my face.

"Never mind that now," Emily said. "Come on." She showed us the main floor first, most of which Tara had already showed me, and then descended the stairs to the basement. The infamous "games room" was our first stop.

"This is where Ian spends the majority of his time," Tara said.

"Unfortunately," Emily said, gazing at the video game set. Well, set_s_. "We are endeavouring to break him of the habit."

"How's that working out?" asked Mom.

"Not well, let's put it that way," Emily said. "Now then, moving on."

Once Emily and Tara had finished showing us the house, Aunt Alice went to admire Emily's closet while Tara, Mom and Aunt Rose went to the library. I went to change into more comfortable clothes.

When I re-emerged from Emily and Rob's cavernous bathroom in the pyjamas that Aunt Alice had brought for me, everyone was already gathered in the bedroom.

"There she is!" Aunt Rose smiled. "Come on."

I took a seat beside Tara on the bed. She was devouring a plate of candied strawberries enrobed in copious amounts of whipped cream. I raised an eyebrow. "Loading up on the sugar, are we?"

She nodded and popped another one into her mouth. "They're Em's specialty."

"So," Emily said. "Since Nessie will soon be one of us, I thought perhaps the rest of us could lend her some advice."

"Marvellous idea," Aunt Alice said approvingly.

"'One of us'?" Mom asked.

"Married women, of course," Aunt Alice said.

"Couldn't we just, you know, sleep?" I asked hopefully. "I'm kind of tired, and–"

"Liar!" Emily crowed. "Come now, Nessie, don't ruin our fun. Besides, we both know that we don't need all that much sleep."

"Besides," Aunt Alice said. "Had you actually imagined that you were going to be sleeping at some point? It's like you don't know us at all," she said with a wounded expression.

"I don't know," Mom said, looking at me.

I smiled hopefully at her.

"One all-nighter isn't going to kill her, Bella," Aunt Alice said, rolling her eyes.

"It's not going to help her, either," Aunt Rose pointed out.

"Can you two try to act less like overbearing mothers and become teenagers again for just one second if that's not too much to ask?" Aunt Alice said dryly.

"Well, could I sleep for just a little bit?" I pleaded.

"Maybe," Emily said. "So. Who's going first?"

"I will," Aunt Rose said. She looked at me. "Now then, never assume that just because he's nodding, he's actually agreeing with you."

"Mmm," Emily agreed. "Good one, Rose. Yes, that's a rookie mistake. Not even my gift helps me with that. Rob's found ways around it."

I nodded and committed the tip to memory.

For the following hour, Aunt Alice, Aunt Rose, Tara, Emily and Mom took turns besetting my ears with marital acumen. My head was spinning by the time they were finished. I was beginning to get nervous now. Marriage was so much more complicated than I'd realized. I hadn't thought that things would change much after Jake and I were married.

"Helpful?" Emily asked at the end.

I nodded, still slightly disconcerted by the rush of information.

Mom laughed at something in my expression. "You'll get the hang of it. You're a fast learner."

I hoped desperately that she was right.

A phone buzzed from somewhere nearby.

"Oh, that's me," Emily said, jumping up with a slight frown. She opened a drawer in the nightstand on her side of the bed and withdrew a red phone. She flipped it open, her frown deepening. "Cael?"

Tara half-squealed.

I stared at her in shock.

She cleared her throat and regained her composure. "Sorry," she said quietly.

Emily raised an eyebrow at her sister, and then flicked her eyes flicked to a clock. "Haven't you heard of time zones?" She chuckled at something on the other end. "Yes, I'm sure you're sorry." She chuckled again. "Did you get my message?" Silence. "_All_ of you? Are you sure? Yes, of course we'll pay. Yes, just wait one moment." She moved the phone away from her ear for a moment and looked at me. "Nessie, some of our friends will be coming for Tara and Ian's second wedding," Tara groaned at this. Emily silenced her with a glare. "And I was wondering if it would be possible for them to attend your wedding as well. They'd like to spend some time with us, and they're also most eager to meet the infamous Cullens."

To meet _us_? What was so exciting about us? "Um…sure. Are they vegetarians?"

"No. But I'll tell them that B.C. and Washington are off-limits."

"Thanks," I said. "And yeah, that's fine."

"Great," she smiled. "Yes, that's fine, Cael. But there is to be no hunting in Washington or British Columbia, understood? Excellent. All right. We'll see you in two days, then." She hung up the phone and sighed. "Rob and Ian will be so thrilled that they're coming."

"How many friends, exactly?" Mom asked.

"Well, Cael said they're all coming, so that will be…six."

"They're a coven?" asked Aunt Rose, surprised.

"No, no," Emily said. "They're nomads, but they've all been friends for decades. Rob and Ian were sort of the ones that connected all of them. Cael and...Julianna," she said, a dark look crossing her face as she spoke the name, "have been traveling together since the twenties, and sometimes Austin and Adair join them, but Dahlia and Henry generally travel alone."

I thought for a moment. "You mentioned Austin before, didn't you?"

She nodded. "He became Rob and Ian's third brother, but he had no desire to come to Canada."

"He was the German soldier?"

She nodded again.

"So who're the rest of them?"

"Various nomads that they met while traveling through Europe," Tara said. "They're an interesting group. Adair, for instance." She and her sister exchanged glances and then giggled in unison.

"Or Cael," Emily added. She chuckled. "Rob and I were determined to set Tara up with someone, so if things between her and Ian hadn't worked out – which we had absolute confidence that they would, but in the event that we were wrong – we would have tried to set her up with Cael. We decided to give Ian a century or two–"

"_WHAT?_"

Everyone jumped in surprise at the sound of Ian's shriek.

"Shh!" Uncle Emmett muttered, and then there was muted thud.

"_Ow_!" Ian hissed.

Mom, Aunt Rose, Aunt Alice, Tara and I all crowded around the windows to see my Jacob, my father, my uncles and the Winter brothers standing in the backyard, eavesdropping.

I crossed my arms. "Eavesdropping, are we, gentlemen?"

Jacob laughed warily with a sheepish look on his face. "Nessie. Fancy seeing you here."

"No, Jacob, fancy seeing _you_ here."

There was the sound of rushing wind, and then Ian was standing in front of the open window at the side of the room, glaring murderously at his sister as he rubbed the back of his head where my uncle had hit him. "Tell me that this is simply one of your sick, twisted jokes, Emily. Tell me that you hadn't actually thought of setting my wife up with _Cael Shane_, of all people."

Emily laughed uneasily and backed away from him. "Well…" She bolted from the room.

"I am going to _kill_ you!" Ian snarled, flashing after her.

Everyone laughed, except for Tara, who was still gaping.

I looked down at Rob. "He's not actually going to hurt her, is he?"

As if to answer my question, there was the sound of something breaking, and then Emily's hysterical laughing. "You missed! Aw, come on, Ian, not the bowl. Not the – OW!"

Rob chuckled. "No, not really."

"What are you doing here?" Mom asked all of them.

"It was Emmett's idea," Dad said automatically.

"Was it now?" Aunt Rose said, placing her hands on her hips.

Uncle Emmett gave Dad a withering look and then shot my aunt a smile.

"Should have known," Mom muttered.

"Sheesh, Jake, I don't know," I said with mock seriousness. "I don't know if I can marry an eavesdropper."

He dramatically imitated being stabbed in the heart.

Mom, Aunt Alice and I laughed.

"I wish," Aunt Rose muttered.

I sighed.

She shrugged apologetically.

"Say it!" Ian shouted.

"No!" Emily shouted back.

There was more crashing.

"Say it!"

"Say what?" I asked Dad.

Dad chuckled. "He wants her to apologize."

"SAY IT!"

"No!"

Rob sighed. "I'll go break them up before they destroy the entire house."

"No, no," Uncle Emmett laughed. "Don't. This is fun."

Rob rolled his eyes.

When he managed to calm things between Emily and Ian, the men left again, and Emily returned to us, with only a thin red line left on her arm to tell the tale.

"What'd he hit you with, anyway?" asked Aunt Alice.

"Freaking bowl," Emily muttered darkly. "Big glass one."

"Expensive?" I asked.

"No. I got it from Ikea. But I liked it."

I chuckled.

As the evening continued, the conversation inevitably turned towards wedding planning. Aunt Alice, Emily and Aunt Rose had the majority of the wedding worked out. They were choosing music now.

"Who should do the music?" asked Aunt Alice.

"I've been wondering that myself," Mom said. "We'll need Edward and Rose for the ceremony."

"Ooh," Emily said. "Easy. Rob can do it."

"I didn't know Rob played the piano," I interjected.

"Oh yes," she said. "He's an incredible player. His mother was a teacher, so she had him started by the time he was four. Believe me, Nessie; he'd be more than happy to."

I felt a little twinge of guilt. I _was_ trying to like him. It had become easier over the past few months. He'd even formally forgiven Uncle Jasper, but he didn't seem to quite be able to take the malice out of his eyes when he looked at him.

"Would you like to see your dress?" asked Aunt Rose.

I blinked. "My dress? Um…all right."

She passed me a photograph. I gasped quietly. It was quite possibly the most lovely, elegant dress I'd ever seen. It was white and flowed elegantly, with a tastefully modest train. The front was decorated with silver roses. The rose pattern also formed a strap over the right shoulder. It was perfect, without question.

"Don't you like it?" asked Aunt Alice worriedly.

"I…I…" I could feel their eyes on me as they waited expectantly. "It's gorgeous. It's absolutely perfect. It's the prettiest dress I've ever seen."

Aunt Alice hugged me with joy. "Excellent. I had it made especially for you. Now we have two options for the veil: we can do a veil and a tiara or simply the veil."

I looked at my little aunt as she studied my face intently. I half-smiled. "I'll let you have a bit of fun, Aunt Alice. Order the tiara as well."

"I have the best niece on the planet!" she declared, crushing me against her again.

"Hurting…Aunt Alice. Unlike you…I actually have to…breathe…" I gasped.

She released me automatically. "Oops."

I chuckled. "It's okay."

"All right," she said. "I will phone these in."

"Well, what shall we do now?" Emily asked as Aunt Alice drifted to the side of the room and withdrew her phone.

"Sleep?" I suggested hopefully.

She gave me a withering look.

"Let's watch a movie," Aunt Alice suggested brightly.

"I still can't believe you guys have your own mini-theatre," Mom said, shaking her head.

Emily laughed. "It was Ian's gift to himself for his sixty-seventh nineteenth birthday. T, do you want to put something into the projector while I get some snacks?"

Tara nodded and flitted out of the room.

"I'll help," I volunteered.

"No, no," Emily said quickly. "This is your night. You aren't to lift a finger."

"Emily, come on," I said, rolling my eyes. "I can at least help you get snacks."

She sighed. "All right, all right." She led me to their sprawling kitchen. "Why don't you sit?" she suggested. "It really will be faster if I do this. I already know where everything is."

I shrugged and took a seat on one of the stools at the island in the centre of the kitchen. I picked a particularly shiny red apple out of a fruit bowl in front of me and toyed with it as I watched her flash around the kitchen. I glanced back at the apple and spun it on the countertop absently. "Did Rebecca ever call you back?" I asked after a few moments of silence.

Emily was silent for a moment. She pursed her lips. "Yes. Almost a month ago."

"A month?" I asked, surprised. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't want to make an issue of it."

"Well what did she say?"

She turned away from me. "They didn't find him. When Rebecca and Ajay took the Volturi back to the home that William and his family were living in, they had burnt it to the ground and they were long gone. They couldn't find Joham, either. They're gone and no one has any idea where they went, not even Demetri."

Not even Demetri? How on earth was that possible? "Do you think he has another shield?"

"I have no idea," she said, sighing. "Aro and Marcus decided to allow Rebecca and Ajay to live, despite Caius's wishes. He wanted them executed on the spot, naturally. They're somewhere in Europe at the moment, but they'll be here by August at the latest."

I nodded as my mind drifted back to the clearing. A thousand questions burned at my tongue, but one was particularly irritating. It was one that had been prodding at me ever since. "Why did you look so afraid on the field?" I asked her finally.

She turned to look at me. "What?"

"Well, if you knew that Rebecca and Ajay were going to come, why did you look so afraid? Were you just acting?"

"No, not at all," she said, chuckling slightly. "The fear you saw was genuine. I didn't know for sure if they would come. I hoped, I _desperately_ hoped that they would. But I explained to them from when I first met them that they owed me nothing and that whatever happened with our family, it had nothing to do with them. I didn't want them involved unless they were absolutely certain of what they were involving themselves in. Ajay was initially hesitant, but Rebecca insisted." She twisted her ring absently. "I tried at first to dissuade her, but stubbornness seems to be a family trait." She looked at me again. "But they were always my back up plan. My primary plan was to offer myself."

"You can't have seriously thought that was going to work," I said.

She was silent for a moment. "Not really, no. I didn't think that alone would stop them. But I knew that it would provoke a reaction."

"How so?" I asked, frowning.

She smiled as she studied me. "You really don't know, do you?"

"Know what?"

"Renesmee, your family has had a tremendous impact on the vampire world. Everyone knows about your family, _everyone_. None of us had ever even considered the possibility that the Volturi could be stopped once they set their minds to something. We all thought they were invincible, and we had reason enough to. They've been in power for thousands of years. But when you defied them and _won_, the whispers that had already been circulating grew louder and spread wider."

Now I was really confused. "Whispers?"

She made popcorn as she spoke. "For centuries now, in secret, there have been whispers. Some have come to view the Volturi as decadent, corrupt, overzealous and false. They say that they do more harm than good. But this point of view has been kept almost entirely silent. Everyone knows how powerful Aro, Caius and Marcus are and they don't become _less_ powerful the more they age, they become _more_ powerful, which makes them even more dangerous to oppose. Such thoughts were strongly discouraged and were never discussed in public, for fear of being found out. Aro would have made up an excuse to destroy them. He's done it before. The Volturi don't take well to mutinous chatter.

"Until we learned of your family, we hadn't realized that it was possible to survive a confrontation with them. But as soon as you did, what had once been mere inklings became thoughts, and what had been thoughts became whispers, and what had been whispers became conversations. Even those who never before had had a real problem with their rule have become discomfited with their saintly façade and the Volturi know it. They fear it. They love their power more than anything else. I knew that even if they killed me, they would have great difficulty in destroying all of you. There is an overwhelming amount of sympathy with your family now. Carlisle has been greatly respected in our world for centuries as it is, but after the first confrontation, many saw their actions as overstepping their brief. To be perfectly honest with you, it's half the reason our friends are so eager to meet all of you."

I mulled that over for a moment. "And what's the other half?"

She bit her lip. "To many, you also represent revolution."

I shifted uncomfortably. So they expected us to be deliverers of some sort? I hoped that the thoughts were kept as quiet as Emily had said, or they would be placing us in a rather perilous position. The last thing we needed was the Volturi watching us even more closely. If they felt threatened, they would find any and every reason to try to bring us down. But surely they knew Grandpa Carlisle well enough to know that he would never desire to rule?

"I've explained to them that Carlisle would never consent to starting a revolution. They were his friends, after all, but the idea for them is tantalizing. Don't mistake me, though. The Volturi have many loyal supporters, and there also many who feel neutral towards them. I believe that the favour is still generally with them, but only marginally. It's not nearly the majority that they're accustomed to."

I fell silent for a moment as I considered what she'd told me. There was so much to take in. I hadn't realized that we were such a phenomenon. I wondered if anyone else in my family realized how famous we were. Grandpa Carlisle must have had some idea. He seemed to know everyone.

"Can you give these to your mom and your aunts?" she said, passing me three blood packets from the fridge.

"Is there enough for us to have any?"

She shook her head. "I only have enough for them. Besides, we have food."

I glanced longingly at the blood packet.

"Oh come on," she chuckled. "Embrace your partial humanity."

I sighed and gave the blood to Mom, Aunt Alice and Aunt Rose.

"Mm," Aunt Alice said. "A-positive. Excellent."

"I prefer a good AB myself," Aunt Rose said.

I glanced down at the packages. "Sorry, Aunt Rose. I've just got B and O-negative."

She glanced over her shoulder at Mom. "Bella? Which one do you want?"

"Is there a huge difference?" Mom asked.

"Not really," Aunt Alice replied as she opened hers and inhaled deeply. "It's just a matter of preference."

"I feel like such a newborn," Mom said, reaching for the B.

"Technically, you still are," Aunt Alice pointed out.

I handed Aunt Rose the O-negative and took a seat beside Mom. Emily and Tara appeared seconds later. Emily passed me a bowl of popcorn and then took a seat a few rows behind Mom and me, Tara sitting adjacent her. She clapped twice, and the lights dimmed automatically. She clapped once more, and the movie began.

The movie started with a dark landscape. Then, slowly, the sun began to rise, enveloping the horizon its warm glow. The sun continued to rise until it hung at the very centre of the sky. I lost interest shortly thereafter. My thoughts drifted towards the wedding. I glanced down at my engagement ring. Even in the dimly-lit mini-theatre, it sparkled. I feared to imagine how many karats it was. Jacob must have spent a fortune on it. I pondered the glittering, multi-faceted depths of my future with a warm satisfaction for a moment. A smile crept over my face slowly as my eyes slid shut.


	26. Chapter 26

Author's Note: We apologize for the notification, as this obviously is not a new chapter. Something funky happened with one of the earlier chapters, so we've been forced to re-upload quite a few of them.

* * *

Epilogue

A light knock sounded on my door. I took a breath and turned to see Dad standing in the doorway, a strange look on his face. Paternal, I decided after a moment. He smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry to disturb you."

"S'okay," I said.

He stepped inside and closed the door behind him, sighing quietly. His expression changed suddenly. The look of profound sadness on his face moved me.

"Daddy?" I said, moving towards him with a frown. "What's wrong?"

He forced a tiny, morose smile. "Don't worry about me, darling. I'm being…"

"Fatherly?"

He chuckled. "Yes, that's an apt description."

"Daddy, you know I'll always love you. I'm always going to be your Nessie."

He smiled and brushed a hand across my cheek. "Yes, I know. And you know that I will always love you as well. It's simply hard to wrap my head around the fact that you will no longer be _just_ my Nessie. You will be Jacob's Nessie as well."

"I think I've always been Jacob's Nessie."

"Well, yes, I suppose that's true," he conceded. "But as of tomorrow, it will be official." He sighed again. "Well, I hadn't actually come here to be sentimentally parental. I have something to show you."

My interest was sparked instantly. "Oh?"

"Indeed. It's a wedding gift to you from your uncles and me."

"It's a car, isn't it."

He laughed. "Come and see for yourself."

He led me to the main floor. As soon as he turned to the garage, I knew that my suspicion had been correct.

"Hurry up, Jazz!" I heard Uncle Emmett hiss. "I can already hear them!"

There was the sound of fabric being tossed into the air and then a soft whisper as it settled over something smooth.

"Are you quite ready yet?" Dad asked, stopping in front of the closed door.

"It's Jazz's fault," Uncle Emmett said, opening the door but standing directly in the doorway and succeeding in taking up most of it.

"I'm sure," Dad said dryly. "Can she _see _it now?"

"Yes," Uncle Jasper said from behind Uncle Emmett.

Uncle Emmett grinned at me. "You're going to love it, kid."

I grinned at his exuberant expression.

Dad placed his hands lightly over my eyes. "I am sorry about this, but we need you to fully appreciate it." He guided me into the garage.

My other senses took over for my lack of sight. I was overwhelmed by a complex array of scents. I immediately recognized rubber, gas, paint, plastic, metal, glass, oil, antifreeze and coolant.

"Here we are," Dad said, stopping me suddenly. I heard Uncle Jasper and Uncle Emmett shuffle up behind us. I could practically feel their anticipation.

Dad moved his hands away from my eyes. I was standing in front of what was obviously a car beneath a sheet with our family crest on it. Dad stepped forward and tore the sheet off with a flourish.

My jaw fell open. "No way," I gasped. Parked before me was the only car I had ever taken an interest in. It was a black Maserati Quattroporte, and it was absolutely beautiful.

I whirled around to look at my father and uncles, all three of whom were smiling broadly. "I love you all!" I said, throwing my arms around Uncle Emmett first.

He boomed a laugh and hugged me back. "'Love you too, Ness."

I hugged Uncle Jasper next. "You are the greatest uncles _ever_," I said. "And father," I added quickly, looking at Dad.

"Oh, you like it, do you?" Uncle Jasper said with a chuckle.

"You have _no_ idea," I said and then rushed over to hug Dad. "You're the best, Daddy."

He kissed my forehead and passed me the keys. "Enjoy it responsibly."

"Can we go right now?"

"Of course," he smiled.

I squealed childishly and flashed over to the driver's side. Dad got into the passenger seat while Uncle Emmett and Uncle Jasper got into the back. I turned the key in the ignition, my smile broadening as the engine hummed to life. I placed my hands on the silky steering wheel, shifted into drive and slowly applied pressure to the gas pedal. The car purred out of our cavernous garage and onto the winding drive.

I sped at an ungodly velocity around the back roads, to the delight of my passengers. I caught a glimpse of Jacob and Seth running astride us in wolf-form several times, both grinning broadly. I shot a wink at Jacob as I careened around a corner. I was beginning to understand their attraction to such lethal speeds.

"Yes!" Dad cheered in response to this thought. "Brothers, I believe we have a convert!"

My uncles whooped in response.

I laughed.

When we returned, everyone was watching us from the windows with broad smiles. I parked the car in the garage and got out as Jacob and Seth appeared on the front lawn in human form, both dressed in only cut-off shorts.

Jacob's grin lit his whole face. "Isn't it awesome?"

"You knew about this?" I asked.

"Yes! I thought I was going to explode if I had to keep it from you for another day," he said, picking me up and spinning me around the garage.

I giggled and wrapped my arms around his neck. When we stopped spinning, I pressed my lips to his.

Uncle Emmett cleared his throat slightly.

"Shut up and go away," Jacob muttered against my lips.

I twined my fingers in his hair and sighed happily. "Today rocks."

Jacob grinned. "And why is that?"

"Because I just got my dream car," I said, glancing at my Maserati, "And because tomorrow, I'm going to marry you."

He smiled and kissed me again. My heart rate exploded instantly, my breaths becoming shallow and uneven. And then, all too soon, the kiss ended.

"Want to go for a walk?" he asked.

"The trail?"

He nodded.

"Sure."

He lowered me to the ground and then took my hand. We strolled across the lawn and disappeared into the forest. Tall, majestic Douglas Firs rose on either side of us. Even Jacob, who towered at six-foot-seven, seemed small in comparison. The sky was as cloudy as ever and a light drizzle was beginning to filter down through the canopy.

"I can hardly believe the big day's tomorrow," he said.

"Yeah," I agreed. "I considered staying in bed this morning to make it come faster."

He laughed.

We fell into a comfortable silence for a time, contented to listen to the birds in the trees and the animals nearby. Everyone had hunted the night before in order to make everyone more comfortable around our human (and partially-human) guests. The wedding crowd had become quite full. From Washington came both of the packs and their families as well as Billy, Grandpa Charlie, Sue Clearwater (although she was only coming after being subjected to a considerable amount of griping from Seth, Grandpa Charlie and Billy), Emily, Jacob's sisters, Rachel and Rebecca, Claire, Emily's niece and Quil's seven-year-old imprint, although at this stage, he was more of a third parent, as Jacob had been to me when I was a child.

We also had a slew of vampiric guests that would be attending, most of whom I had met at the first confrontation. All of the Denali were coming, and had arrived the previous week. Zafrina, Kachiri and Senna were also expected, as well as Nahuel and his aunt, Huilen. Rob and Ian's six friends, Austin, Adair, Cael, Julianna, Henry and Dahlia had arrived almost two months earlier and had been staying at the Winter's home ever since. They were a very interesting group, and each seemed keenly (though perplexingly) fascinated by us. Emily and Tara had invited four friends of their own. They, too, had arrived early. They were a slightly disconcerting group. The young Canadian vampire Evan and his Persian mate, Kamaria (or Kam, as she insisted upon being called) were quite warm and friendly, whereas the Russians, Ivan and Elizaveta, were very reserved and almost cold. They had a dangerous demeanour about them. I had done my best to steer clear of them, with little difficulty since they appeared to take little interest in us.

"They are pretty weird," Jake agreed. "They look like they'd be buds with the Draculas."

I chuckled as his mention of the Romanians. I hadn't gotten to see them as much as the other witnesses at the confrontation. Inexplicably, Mom had always seemed to have some reason to keep me away from them.

"I wonder what the Italian creepers will send this time," Jacob muttered.

I frowned slightly and looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well, when your parents got hitched, Creep-Face sent your mom this _hugely-_expensive necklace and a box. I think Carlisle mentioned something about them being the crown jewels of England or something. I don't know. I was only half-listening. Anyway, you know them. They know everything that goes on with everyone. And Creep-Face read Emily's mind, so he knows that we're getting married."

A chill passed over my skin. I hoped Aro didn't feel the need to pay a personal visit. That would put a damper on the festivities pretty quickly.

"And now they really need to score brownie points with us," Jacob said. "They've tried to kill us twice."

I sighed and shifted closer to him instinctively. His reminder of the Volturi had created a tiny fissure of fear in my excitement. The last thing I wanted was any sort of congratulations from _them_. I'd spent months wondering if Jacob and I would live long enough to see our wedding day because of them.

"Sorry," he said quickly. "I wasn't trying to freak you out."

"I know," I said. "But you've got a point." I sighed.

"Anyway," he said, changing the subject quickly. "Alice still won't tell me where she's sending us for our honeymoon. Any ideas?"

"You know Aunt Alice," I said. "She'll probably be ridiculous and send us on a world tour or something, since we're pretty much the only ones who don't have to worry about glittering in sunlight."

"Probably. It was pretty awesome of her to organize everything for us, though. I know how much you would've hated to have had to plan a wedding."

I shuddered at the thought.

He chuckled.

My phone rang suddenly. I frowned and tried to remember when I'd decided to bring my phone. I withdrew it from my pocket and flipped it open. "Hello?"

"Nessie, it's Aunt Rose," she said. "Sorry to bother you, but we need you back at the house as soon as possible, if it's not too much trouble."

"Yeah, sure. But would you happen to know why my phone is in my pocket?"

"That was me, I'm afraid," Aunt Alice said from the background. "I slipped it in this morning in case of an emergency."

I ought to have known. "Of course you did. I'll be right there." I flipped the phone shut and shot an apologetic look at Jacob. "Duty calls."

He chortled. "Let's get back, then."

When we returned, I could hear the house buzzing from almost half a mile away. The Winters had brought their friends over to help with preparations. As I ascended the stairs to the door, I passed Tanya, who was cutting flowers to length with one of the Winter's friends, Cael. He was a dark-haired, strikingly-handsome Irishman with a pleasant smile and a charming lilt. He wasn't as obvious about his admiration for our family, for which I was grateful. Out of their six guests, I liked him the most. Tanya smiled at me as I walked by, her honey-coloured eyes warm. I glanced from her to Cael and gave her a thumbs-up behind Cael's back. She grinned and then dropped her gaze.

I smiled to myself as I opened the front door. I was glad to see that she was taking to him so well. She was now the only single member of our entire family.

"There you are!" Aunt Rose smiled as I made my way into the living room. Everyone seemed to be milling about doing something. "Esme and I were hoping to try out some hairstyles on you so we're ready for tomorrow."

I shrugged. "I'm all yours."

Aunt Rose and Grandma Esme experimented with my hair for a sizeable portion of the afternoon as they tried to decide what to do with my hair tomorrow. It was dinnertime when they were finished. Dad and Grandpa Carlisle made fettuccine alfredo for Jacob, Emily, the pack and me. Emily politely excused herself and ate alone, citing wedding details as the cause for her departure.

"So," said Seth, his mouth full of dinner as he spoke, a fact which I tried to ignore. "Any pre-wedding jitters, Nessie?"

I glanced at him and shrugged as I stirred my pasta around my plate. I would have been lying if I'd said I wasn't nervous. I was terrified, in fact. Marriage was much more complicated than I had initially realized, a fact for which I had not been prepared. My fears were not that that Jacob didn't love me – such a thought would have insulted him and even at that, he'd shown me that he'd loved me for my entire life – but what troubled me more than anything else was the idea of the unknown, as irrational as I knew it was. "Not really. I don't have any doubts."

Jacob smiled at me. I returned it.

Leah made a disgusted noise.

"I can still kick you out of my wedding, Leah," Jacob said warningly.

"Go ahead," she said. "At least I'd be spared the disgusting gushy fluff."

"Don't think I won't take you up on that," Jacob cautioned her.

"Jake," I said, laying a hand on his arm. _I don't mind her_, I told him mentally.

"Oh, but I do," he muttered as he returned to his food.

"Are you psyched?" asked Embry asked me.

"Not that I can see why," Quil teased. "He snores like a chainsaw."

"This coming from you," Jacob shot back.

I chuckled. "Yeah, I'm psyched," I replied.

After dinner, we made our way to the living room to watch TV on the flat screen. Emily, Tara and Ian joined us after a while, though they sat on the other side of the room from us. Grandma Esme, who had just finished with the hors d'oeuvres for the reception sat down adjacent Emily and watched with us.

The doorbell rang presently.

"Oh dear," I heard Dad mutter from the kitchen. He wandered into the living room and called, "Kate!"

Kate flashed into the room. "Yes?"

"I would be very grateful if all of you could go upstairs for a moment. I'm afraid a rather unexpected visitor has just arrived, and I think it would be best if he doesn't know we're entertaining for the present."

She blinked. "Oh. All right."

"Thank you."

She relayed the request to the rest of the Denali, and all five made their way up to the second floor quickly.

I frowned. "What is it?" I asked Dad.

"Jeff," he replied as he moved to answer the door.

Ian stood up instantly, his black eyes narrowing. "Allow me."

"Crap," Tara muttered as her cheeks began to turn pink.

Leah frowned. "What's the deal with the Jeff kid?"

"He's got this thing for Tara," Jake told her.

"Which one's Tara again?" asked Leah beneath her breath as she glanced from Emily to Tara.

He gestured to Emily first, who was reading a magazine. "Emily's the puny one," Jacob whispered.

"I heard that," she muttered without glancing up. "I believe the politically correct term would be 'petite', Jacob."

He chuckled. "Whatever you say." He looked at Leah again. "Tara's the tall one."

Tara's blush deepened at the mention of her name.

I heard Ian open the front door. "Hello, Jeffrey," he said in a strained tone.

"Hey, Ian. Is Tara there?" I heard Jeff asked timidly.

"Yes."

There was a pause.

"Well, can I speak to her?"  
"Can you?"

Another pause. "Um…may I please speak to Tara?"

Ian sighed. "Come in." Beneath his breath I heard him mutter, "But I can't guarantee that you will be going back out _alive_."

Even from three rooms away, I could hear Jeff's heart hammering. His breaths were quick and shallow. He stopped in the doorway and cleared his throat slightly.

As soon as he came into view, I noticed Leah looking at Jeff strangely. I'd never seen her look at someone like that. It was like the way Jacob looked at me…

Seth, Jacob, Quil and Embry gave collectively appalled gasps.

"No way!" Seth cried.

"Aw, _man_, Leah, you have _no_ taste!" Jacob exclaimed.

"Whoa!" Quil yelped.

"You have to be kidding!" Embry laughed.

But Leah's eyes remained on Jeff, who now met her eyes. He smiled back nervously.

It took me half a beat more to understand. I nudged Jacob. "Please tell me she didn't just _imprint_ on _Jeff_," I whispered.

Jacob nodded disgustedly.

I glanced at Jeff, who was shifting his weight uncomfortably, perplexed by their sudden outbursts.

"Of the billions of guys in this world, you imprinted on _that_ one?" Seth was growling at his sister.

"There is something seriously screwed up in your head, Leah," Embry said, still chuckling.

Leah ignored them all and continued to stare at Jeff. She rose finally and extended a hand to him. "Leah Clearwater."

He smiled nervously. "Jeff Whitman."

Jacob groaned.

* * *

The day of my wedding dawned early. Fortunately, a dense layer of cloud shielded us from the sun. Aunt Alice's prediction had been right.

Before I knew what was happening, it was four o'clock in the afternoon and I was sitting in the bathroom, having my face perfected by Aunt Alice and Aunt Rose. I was an hour away from walking down the aisle and becoming Mrs. Renesmee Black forevermore. And for some reason, it was at this time that all of my fears chose to overwhelm me.

"Nessie?" Mom asked worriedly as I felt myself beginning to hyperventilate.

"Are you all right, honey?" Aunt Rose asked concernedly.

My heart hammered uncontrollably in my chest. "I have no idea what I'm doing," I whispered in horrified realization. What did I know about being a wife? And there was this evening to consider. That thought made my breath hitch.

"Ness, everything's okay," Mom reassured me.

No, everything was _far_ from okay. I began to tremble violently. What if I didn't meet Jacob's expectations? The last thing I ever wanted to do was disappoint him. I knew that I had his love unconditionally, but I didn't want to make him unhappy.

I wasn't sure how long they all took turns trying to soothe me when finally Mom jumped up with a defeated sigh. "Fine," she said. "I'm getting Jacob." I didn't really grasp that she was serious until she returned with Jacob moments later. He looked beyond stunning in his tuxedo.

"No, no!" I wheezed. "You can't see me before the wedding. It's bad luck!"

"Technically, I've only _ever_ seen you before the wedding," he pointed out. He glanced at Aunt Alice. "Can I have a minute?"

She nodded and got up, patting his shoulder as she left. Mom and Aunt Rose followed her.

Jacob sat down across from me with a sigh, his eyes drifting over me. "_Wow_, you look incredible."

I burst into tears.

"It was a compliment!" Jacob said quickly.

"Jake, I have…no idea how to do this," I sobbed. "I don't know how to be a wife."

"Well, this is my first time being married too, Ness," he reminded me. "So I think I'm probably about as nervous as you are."

"But…but I don't want to disappoint you," I admitted tearfully.

Jacob sighed and lifted me into his lap, careful not to damage my dress. "Renesmee Carlie Cullen soon-to-be Black, you've never disappointed me in your entire life, ever, do you understand me? And marriage will be no different. Is that what you were really worried about? Did you really think I was going to have unrealistic expectations?"

"No," I sniffled. "I thought you'd have reasonable expectations that I wouldn't be able to fulfill."

"Well, sorry to sound harsh, but that's absolutely ridiculous, sweetheart," he told me softly. "But…you still want to get married, right?"

I looked at him in surprise. "Of course I do. This is not me trying to back out, Jake. I was just having a human moment. Well, _half_-human moment."

He laughed.

I sighed and laid my head against his chest. It took a few more moments of his comforting for me to calm enough to remember how to breathe properly.

"Crap," I muttered, remembering only now that I was wearing make up. Aunt Alice was going to kill me for making in run.

"What?" he asked.

I glanced in the mirror and then flinched in surprise.

The fact that my make up wasn't smudged in the slightest was the first shock. The second was that I was truly staring at my own reflection. I scarcely recognized myself. "Oh," I murmured quietly.

Jacob chuckled. "See what I mean now?"

"There _are_ advantages to having a clairvoyant aunt," Aunt Alice said, appearing in the doorway. "I used waterproof make up."

"Thanks," I breathed as I continued to stare at myself in disbelief.

She grinned. "You're welcome." She looked at Jacob. "It's time for you to go now. You've calmed her down, which I'm sure we all appreciate, Jasper especially," she said, glancing over her shoulder. I caught sight of my uncle standing just down the hall, massaging his temples. "But you really do have to leave. There is still far too much to be done."

I grimaced. "Woops."

She chortled darkly. "You've managed to give him more headaches than even Bella did when she was a human."

"I _am_ sorry."

"He knows that," she said, patting my head reassuringly. "Jacob?" she reminded him.

"Right," he said.

I shuffled out of his lap to allow him to stand.

"See you in an hour," he said.

I gave him a small smile. "Yeah."

Mom and Aunt Rose returned then, and busied themselves with making the final touches. They managed to finish the entire ordeal a full half hour before the ceremony was to begin.

Mom turned to my aunts. "Rose, Alice, can I have a minute with her? Alone?"

"Of course," Aunt Rose said. She and Aunt Alice left once more.

Mom sighed and cupped my face lightly in her cold hands. "You know, when you were born, I hadn't imagined we'd be having this conversation for at least a good decade or so. And now look at us," she said, chuckling lightly. "I'm giving you away only six years after getting you."

I felt my eyes tearing up again. "I know. I'm sorry that it's so soon for your sake, Momma."

She shook her head and laid a finger over my lips. "He makes you very happy, and you make him happier than you can possibly know. Finding someone that could make him as happy as you do is something that I've wanted for him ever since I realized that I wasn't the one that was going to be able to fill that place in his heart. And, of course, I have only ever wanted you to be happy. I wish I could've had longer. I wish I'd had more time to prepare you for today, but I'll just have to go with what I've got." She exhaled. "I don't need to tell you about Jake. You've known him just a few years less than I have, and you know him better than even he knows himself. You two connect on a level that I will never be able to fully fathom, so that part of my job is taken care of. But as for the wife part…it takes work, Nessie. That's for sure. You have to want to work things out, and you have to be willing to accept that he won't always give you what you want. You have to be able to listen and always be willing to compromise. Things won't just work out all on their own. I know that you know that."

I nodded.

"And you know that if it were anyone else waiting for you down there, I would be strongly discouraging this. Well, not like I'd have to. Your dad probably would've already killed him."

I smiled and nodded again.

"But it's not just anyone down there, is it?"

"It most certainly is not," I agreed.

"I hadn't even factored a daughter into the equation when I was trying to work through my complications with my feelings for your father and Jacob, but now that you are a factor…there's no one else in the world that I would rather see him end up with than you, Nessie."

A small tear escaped down my cheek.

She pulled me into her arms and kissed my forehead. "I love you so much, Renesmee."

I hugged her fiercely. "I love you too, Momma."

We talked and cried for a while longer before being interrupted by a light tap on the door.

"Nessie? Bella?" Dad said from the other side.

"Come in, Edward," Mom replied.

Dad opened the door. A flicker of sadness flashed across his face for the briefest of moments, but was swiftly replaced with a smile. "Nessie, you look wonderful."

I blushed. "Thanks."

"Bella…" he trailed off, shaking his head in disbelief as his eyes trailed over her.

Mom smiled and made her way to his side. He wrapped an arm around her waist and leaned down to kiss her.

"Ew, please don't," I said quickly. The last thing I needed today was to watch my parents make out.

Both laughed. "All right, all right," Dad said, straightening up. "Are you ready?"

I nodded. I had waited a year for this day, and I was as ready now as I ever would be.

"Wait, wait!" Aunt Rose said, hurrying into the room. "I wish you'd have told me you were ready. She still needs her veil."

"Sorry, Rosalie," Dad chuckled.

She opened a small white box and retrieved a small white band. It took me a moment to realize that it was a garter. "I'm sorry," she said apologetically.

"Oh please don't," I begged, horrified. The redness of my cheeks intensified.

"Please?" Aunt Alice said from behind her, giving me a puppy-eyed look.

I sighed irately and took it from her. I hated it when she played my conscience like this. I took it from her and turned away to put it on quickly.

"Excellent," Aunt Alice said. She passed Aunt Rose a pearl earring to put in my left ear while she secured one in my right ear. "Now those are both old and borrowed. Those were your Grandmother Masen's. Edward gave them to me a long time ago."

My eyes widened. I glanced at Dad.

He nodded. "I inherited quite a bit of jewellery from my mother."

I touched them lightly. "Thanks."

"And here is something that is both new and blue," Aunt Rose said, withdrawing a sapphire necklace from yet another box. She fastened it around my neck.

My aunts stepped back to admire me with my parents. "Oh, you look perfect, Nessie," Aunt Rose said proudly. She and Aunt Alice exchanged satisfied expressions.

My blush deepened even further.

Grandma Esme knocked on the door lightly. "We're ready. Oh, Nessie!"

I smiled and hugged her. "Hi, Grandma."

"You look exquisite, darling!" she exclaimed, kissing my cheek.

"Thanks. You look beautiful, Grandma," I said, looking at her. Like my mother and my aunts, she was dressed in red to match the fall theme.

"Thank you," she chuckled, and then she and Mom left to join the crowd downstairs.

Aunt Rose and Aunt Alice set my veil in place then before fastening the tiara on top. "All right," Aunt Rose said. "Edward, if you would."

Dad held an arm out to me. I took it and followed him out of the washroom. Aunt Rose passed me a bouquet once we were in the hallway before taking up her own. She and Aunt Alice took their places in front of me.

Now that I was paying attention, I could hear Rob playing Pachelbel's Canon on Dad's piano downstairs. My mind was strangely blank as we slowly descended the stairs to the main floor. We turned the corner and then slowly made our way into the living room, although it looked nothing like it normally did. White, red, brown, orange and yellow flowers were everywhere; floating in water-filled bowls with small white candles, petals scattered all the way down the aisle, in breathtaking floral arrangements on almost every table in sight, attached to the backs of the chairs. The scent was incredible.

Everyone rose as Aunt Rose, Aunt Alice Dad and I came into view. My heart hammered faster as I caught sight of Jacob at the end of the aisle. Seth, Quil and Embry stood beside him. A minister that Grandpa Carlisle had treated at the hospital had agreed to marry us, and stood behind the four.

Dad gave a small sigh as we reached the end of the aisle and lifted my veil to kiss my cheek. "I love you, Nessie."

"I love you too, Dad." I kissed his cheek and then turned to Jacob.

He smiled at me and took my hand.

The ceremony was a simple, traditional one. I tried to pay attention as the minister spoke, but my mind continually wandered. I managed to murmur my vows at the right time and smiled as the minister declared us to be man and wife. Jacob mirrored my smile radiantly. He cupped my face in his hands and kissed me tenderly.

And then I was Mrs. Jacob Black.

Cheers and applause broke out the moment our lips parted. He answered my smile with one of extraordinary brilliance. At long last, he was mine for eternity He slid an arm around my waist and turned me to face the crowd. Everyone was on their feet, smiling broadly. We took a step towards them, and then were lost into the crowd. I tried to focus on who I was being congratulated by, but my excitement level made that nearly impossible. I was however, very aware of when I was hugged by Grandpa Charlie. The scent crashed over me like a wave and instantly made my throat burn. I winced slightly. Thanks to the wedding preparations, it had been a while since I'd hunted.

"Congratulations, kid!" He squeezed me tightly. "I'd be lying if I said this wasn't a little sooner than I would've liked, but Jake's a good kid." He cast a glance at my new husband and muttered, "Usually."

"Well, Gramps," Jacob grinned, slinging an arm around Grandpa Charlie's shoulders. "Looks like I managed to get myself related to you after all. It was a generation later than expected, but hey. It's never too late, right?"

Grandpa Charlie chuckled. "Just be good to her."

"Naturally," he said, smiling at me.

I smiled back.

Mom and Dad walked up to us next. Both looked emotional. Mom pulled me into her arms and held me closely. I smiled and hugged her back.

I hugged Dad next, and then looked up at Jacob. I felt like I was floating. I hadn't imagined ever being this happy.

"Jacob," Dad smiled, clapping his shoulder. He was smiling, but there was something scary about the way he was looking at him. "Take care of my daughter, or…well, fill in the blank."

Jacob gave a nervous laugh. "Gotcha." He swallowed.

I sighed. "Father."

He smiled lightly. "Just a friendly word of caution."

"And whatever my brother does to you, know that it will be sweet and merciful compared with what I will do if you so much as–" Aunt Rose started to say.

"Thank you, everyone," I said, cutting her off. "It's good to know you care. Jake, let's go find the rest of the family."

I heard my parents chuckling as we moved on. We found my grandparents next.

"Congratulations, sweetie!" Grandma Esme said emotionally, hugging me tightly and kissing my forehead.

Grandpa Carlisle hugged and kissed me next. "You look beautiful, darling."

"Thanks, Grandpa," I smiled.

"We wish you both the best," he said, glancing at Jake as well.

"Thanks, Carlisle," Jacob said, shaking his hand.

The Winters were the next to congratulate us. Ian pulled me into a crushing embrace. "Congratulations, Nessie!" he said, beaming widely.

"Thank you," I gasped as I felt sure that my ribs were cracking.

"Forgive my husband," Tara said, smacking his arm. "He forgets his own strength sometimes."

Ian let me go. "Sorry." He grinned sheepishly.

Tara smiled and hugged me, but far more gently. "You look lovely, Nessie."

"You too," I told her.

"My turn!" Emily said impatiently as she hovered behind her sister.

Tara rolled her eyes and stepped aside. Emily pounced on me instantly. She embraced me tightly. "I'm so happy for you!" she said. "And you look so incredibly beautiful!"

I laughed. "Thanks. You did a great job with the decorating."

She shrugged. "It was a team effort."

"Well, thanks anyway."

She chuckled. "You're welcome."

She gave me a wide smile and then stepped back to allow Rob to hug me. "Thanks for doing the music today, Rob," I said.

"It's my pleasure entirely," he replied. "And as Emily said, you really do look lovely."

The Winter's friends congratulated us next. Cael was the first. The next was their charming British friend Adair, and then their brooding Italian friend Dahlia. She was one of their stranger guests. She seemed perpetually wary, and treated Grandpa Carlisle with inexplicable disdain, which had done nothing to warm my feelings towards her. But I forced myself to smile as she thanked me for inviting her (I tactfully ignored the fact that she had sort of invited herself) and moved on to Julianna. She, too, was British, and was almost as beautiful as my Aunt Rose, but seemed to have a slightly inappropriate fascination with Ian, which Tara had clearly noticed. I didn't get the impression that they were particularly fond of each other. The last of their friends was a quiet, congenial vampire named Henry. He and Cael seemed to be the most normal of the lot.

"It's lovely to be here on this joyous occasion, Mrs. Black," Cael said, smiling. "Congratulations."

I smiled. "Thanks."

"Marvellous party," Julianna said, glancing around.

I gazed at her. "Oh. Uh…well, I can't take credit. It was my aunts, Emily and my grandmother."

"Well, I suppose not everyone knows how to hold a proper celebration. You were wise to let Emily do it. It is always best to leave it to those who know what they're doing," she said.

I glanced at Jacob, who raised an eyebrow.

"As socially graceful as ever, I see," Adair snorted, nudging her.

"Do forgive Jules," Cael said, chuckling. "She's not the most enchanting of souls."

Julianna rolled her eyes.

Evan, Kam and the Russians followed them, and them and then the Denali. It pleased me to notice Cael and Tanya had been spending an awful lot of time together over the past two days. Emily had told me that he'd spent the past three hundred years mourning his human wife, whom he'd accidentally killed after being turned. I wondered if anything would develop there.

Once Jacob and I had greeted everyone, Aunt Alice whisked us off to the backyard where the reception was set up. The trees had been strung with thousands of white lights.

"Wow," I murmured. "We're going to have a nice utility bill at the end of the month."

Jacob chuckled. "Alice, Alice, Alice. You're as practical as ever," he said sarcastically.

Aunt Alice snorted as she guided us to our seats at the head table. "Jacob, please. Do you really think a utility bill is going to be an issue for a pocketbook the size of our family's?"

"Especially since we've pooled our bank accounts with yours," Emily said. "We're not exactly poor, either."

"I know. I've seen your house. And your garage," I reminded her.

"Good point."

The evening was a blur of food, laughter and happiness. Each of my aunts and uncles gave a speech, as well as my parents, and even Seth.

As twilight descended, Aunt Alice and Emily transitioned the celebration back into the house where a dance floor had already been set up, with Dad's grand piano against one wall.

Dad wove his arm around me as we walked into the house. "Do you remember what I asked you when I first gave you my blessing?"

I thought for a moment. "Oh. Right. You wanted the first dance."

He nodded.

"Of course, Daddy. Just let me tell Jake," I said, turning to find him.

He caught my arm. "Jacob knows, Nessie. He has a little gift for you."

I blinked. A little gift for me? We'd agreed not to give gifts. "What do you mean?"

He pointed to the piano.

My eyes widened as Jacob slid onto the piano bench, cracked his fingers and inhaled deeply before beginning to play the lullaby that my father had written for me as a baby.

"Come on," Dad said, leading me onto the dance floor. The rest of the guests watched as we began to twirl around the floor. I stared at Jacob in wonder as he played. "How?" I breathed. As far as I'd known, Jacob had never touched a piano in his life.

"He asked me to teach him after you two got engaged," he told me. "He wanted to play it for you tonight."

Tears pooled in my eyes. "Thanks," I murmured.

He smiled. "You're welcome."

Jacob played the song flawlessly. But then, anyone who had studied under my father would. When it was finished, he shuffled back over to us quickly. A blush rose in his face as everyone applauded him. "How'd I do?"

"That was…that was…" I stammered.

"Perfect," Dad finished for me. He smiled warmly at his pupil. "Well done, son."

Jacob mumbled his thanks, his cheeks going redder still. "Thanks, _Dad_."

My father chuckled.

Mom walked up to us. "May I have this dance?" she asked Dad.

He smiled. "This dance and every other."

"Hey, Mom," Jacob grinned. "You look nice."

She gave him a look. "Jacob Black. _Never_ call me 'Mom' again."

He laughed. "Sure, sure, Ma."

Her eyes narrowed. "If this weren't your wedding day…"

"What, you'd spank me?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of grounding."

"Oooh! I'm scared now."

I sighed. "Don't you get enough of this from antagonizing Aunt Rose?"

"I'll never have enough of this," Jacob grinned.

The evening finished in dancing, with Rob providing the music. He was a truly amazing pianist, as Emily had said. Dad provided another surprise when he took over the piano halfway through the evening, with Mom and Aunt Rose accompanying him on the violin. Apparently they'd been writing me yet another song over the past few months. As I listened, I realized the extent to which I had been blessed by being placed in the Cullen family, or the Cullen/Winter family as it had become.

I wandered out to the backyard with a sigh. The night had a slight chill to it. Fall was approaching.

I heard Jacob behind me. He slid an arm around my waist. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" he asked.

I looked at him, and then followed his gaze up to the sky. Aunt Alice had turned off the lights to make the stars clearer. The clouds had parted just enough to give us a window to the boundless firmament above.

"Ian, I swear I didn't know!" I heard Cael shouting suddenly, disrupting my thoughts.

There was the whistling of air, and then Emily streaked past me, screaming and laughing at the same time. "You can't kill me in this _dress_, Ian! I don't want blood on it!"

"I don't give a damn about the dress!" Ian snarled after her. "Besides, I am going to snap your neck! There's no blood involved!"

"It'll heal!"

"I'll rip it off!"

"What'd you do this time?" Jacob called after her.

Emily laughed in reply, and then shrieked as she ducked a rock that Ian hurled at her.

I shook my head as they disappeared into the forest.

"They're special," Jacob muttered.

"No kidding," I replied. I sighed and turned to face him. "Well. This is different, isn't it?"

"What is?"

"_Mrs._ Renesmee _Black_."

He smiled. "I like the way it sounds."

"Me too." I played with his tie for a moment and then sighed quietly.

"What?" he asked, tilting my chin up so that I was looking into his perfect russet face.

"I was just thinking about last fall."

He winced. "Why would you think about that _now_?"

"Well…I was just thinking about how grateful I am for today, and for you. I've taken you for granted my whole life, and that's why last fall…happened. So, I'm sorry."

He laughed. "Well I know _that_, Nessie. That's pretty much all you said for two days after I got back."

"Yeah, but…I really am sorry. I've been selfish; about everything, really, but especially about you."

"It's all in the past, Nessie. There's nothing more to forgive."

"Thank you," I said sincerely. "I was also thinking about how without all of…_that_…we wouldn't be here today," I said.

He nodded. "Makes it all seem worth it, doesn't it?"

"Yes," I agreed fervently.

He pressed his lips to mine lightly and then smiled again.

I shifted to stand beside him and then looked back at the heavens. I leaned into Jacob's side as we gazed up at the perfect, silver new moon.

* * *

Author's Note: And that is the end. Thank you so much for reading. We have deeply appreciated your support over the past year. We hope you've enjoyed reading the story as much as we have enjoyed writing it. Thank you again!

Sincerely,

Midnight Sapphire Eyes and Elizabeth Watson


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